Off Limits
by lexiecullen17
Summary: Womanizing Edward has been told to stay away from his band's new lead singer, Bella. But with their instant attraction and obvious chemistry, how can he adhere to that? OOC. AU-H. Rated M for naughty humor, intensely bad behavior, language, and sexing.
1. Chapter 1

**AN: Hi everyone! This is my first fic – I've been an avid reader and supporter, but…this is the first one I've attempted, so…be kind.**

EPOV

I drummed my fingers lazily on the desk as I watched yet another Avril Lavigne wannabe head back outside. Seriously, do all of the girls in Seattle wear ripped fishnets, school girl skirts, and combat boots? After our lackluster response from this girl's _rousing_ performance of a recent Kelly Clarkson song, she huffed and turned towards the door.

_Oo…look at that ass. I bet Head Master Cullen wouldn't mind seeing you in detention later…_

Eh, it wasn't really worth it. I'd definitely had better.

"We'll let you know," Jasper called after her.

Jasper, although my best friend, was too god damned nice, and I was getting impatient. Frustrated, I banged my head on the table in front of me, hoping that maybe with a good knock on the head this whole mess of a situation would be cleared up—maybe it had all been a dream. An angry voice called me out of my potential head injury.

"Quit your whining. Edward. You know this shit is all your fault, and now we're cleaning up your fucking mess…again," Emmett said gruffly turning towards my slumped over body.

I would usually fight my bear of a brother on any issue he had with me, but...damn it—this time he just _had _to be right. In fact, it was definitely my fault that our band had lost three lead singers in the course of five months. Shit, I mean, we weren't even a professional band or anything, but, it paid the bills. The bar that we played at, The Mansion, stipulated in our agreement that we could play an hour set three nights a week only if our band had a female lead. Apparently, the college co-eds from University of Washington wanted a short-skirted floozy to fawn over. Hence, the Avril Lavigne wannabes ,who had officially given me a headache.

"I know, I'm sorry. But if one more girl auditioning sings a Kelly Clarkson song, I might shoot myself in the head," I retorted.

Jasper chuckled lightly. "And, pray tell, how do you know so much about Kelly Clarkson songs, Edward? Is there something you need to tell us?"

"I knew your man whoring ways were just a way to convince us you weren't gay, bro. …it's ok, mom and dad will still love you, and it'll give me YEARS of material to use." Emmet laughed cocking his hat sideways. God, my brother is such a tool.

"No, Emmet, I'm not gay…thank you, though, for sharing your unconditional love for me. Fuck you, you know Alice listens to that top 40 shit in my car," I paused for a second knowing that they weren't going to let my whining go so easily and continued with my convincing, "Seriously, you guys, you know I will adhere to "the rule." No worries. Edward Cullen is a reformed man." Jasper and Emmett looked at me skeptically. And I'm not going to lie, they had every right to.

The problem is, well…me. It's not that I try to be an asshole, I really don't—apparently it comes naturally. And when you have a hot, busty strawberry blonde caressing the head of the microphone with her glorious mouth and brushing her hands all over the base of it...Fuck, I can't be stopped. So, yes, that's how we lost Lauren, Jessica, and Tanya. Tanya, sigh. She was a pretty decent fuck. We played that will they/won't they game for a few weeks until she decided she'd had enough of it and pushed me up against the wall after a set one night, and we went at it like bunnies on coke. For a few weeks, anyway. We managed to still play together until last week when she may have stepped in on a similar situation, except it was some random UW chick wrapped around my dick. Oops.

That's when Jasper and Emmet made the: "no inter-band fucking/dating/messing around" rule. Seeing as how Jasper has been pining for Emmet and my little sister, Alice, for the past three years, and Emmett's girlfriend, Rosalie, just moved to Seattle to be closer to him, they may as well have just sat me down and said, "Edward, no fucking the new lead singer." I may have been non-committal about my relationships, but I was committed to the band, and so I agreed to the rule.

Now we _really_ needed a new lead singer. Our next gig was in three days, and I really couldn't get fired from The Mansion. Like I said, it pays the bills.

The door opened as our next contender walked in.

_Holy shit._

Have you ever seen those movies where a guy sees a girl and the world literally stops? Like, the wind is blowing through her hair and it floats gently around her shoulders surrounded by a halo of light? I swear to fucking god that just happened to me. My dick twitched uncomfortably against my jeans as I tried to straighten up a little more.

The girl was a goddess. Seriously. The sun filtered through the window basking her creamy skin with a luminous glow. Her dark mahogany hair curled over her shoulders, and she brushed them behind her shoulders as she walked confidently toward the center of the room. It was such a nice change from the pop-tarts we'd been auditioning all day. No combat boots for this girl. No, she was wearing jeans and a white t-shirt. Who'd have thought that a girl could cover up so much skin and still be completely alluring.

_Alluring, Cullen? What the fuck?_

_Shut up—let me enjoy the view._

_My head it battling itself. Good to know I'm officially crazy._

Somewhere I heard someone calling my name and decided it was time to come out of my inner diatribe.

_Oh, FUCK NO!_

I looked up to see my angel in the arms of Jasper smiling sweetly. He lightly ran his hands down her back and brushed his lips to her cheek. I swear to god I saw red.

_What? Cullen—you DON'T get jealous. It's all part of your aloof charm, remember? You don't even know this girl's name and you're ready to stake claim on her? Get a life._

I shook my head lightly only to be met with the most beautiful brown eyes I had ever seen. Our eyes locked for a second, but I must have looked deranged or something because she quickly averted eye contact and pulled out of Jasper's embrace.

"Edward….uh, Edward?"

_Oh yeah—there was someone calling my name._

Focused once again, I looked up to see Jasper's questioning face calling my name.

"What?" I replied, annoyed. I was having a really hard time forgetting the picture of my girl wrapped around Jasper's waist.

"I'd like you to meet Bella." –and my angel had a name. Bella.

Wait…Bella? This was Jasper's Bella? Bella Swan…Finally the puzzle pieces clicked together.

Jasper had been trying to convince us for months to get rid of Tanya and replace her with this girl he met last semester at UW. Apparently, Jasper had a secret life going behind our backs. Without my or Emmett's knowledge, Jasper had auditioned for UW's senior musical, which last year was Guys and Dolls. Although he told us that he had performed in the show LONG after the show was finished (which I'm still pretty pissed about because, hell, I hadn't been able to mock him properly), he could not stop raving about the brunette beauty who played Sarah for all the months that followed. Apparently Bella was good at everything music related. Jasper thought she had the voice of an angel and that she could piss on stage and it'd still be magical. If I wasn't 100% convinced that Jasper was pining after Alice, I'd be seriously pissed right now.

"Hi." And the world stopped again. Jasper was right, she DID have the voice of an angel. And I'm pretty sure that if she pissed her pants right now during her audition, I'd still worship the ground she walked on.

_Houston, we have a problem._

If we chose Bella to sing lead, "the rule" would be royally fucked, and I could NOT have that. I made a promise to the band, and, like I said...I really needed that paycheck each week.

"Hi, um, can we just get this started? It's great that you know Jasper, but you came here to audition, not socialize, am I right?"

"Uh…yeah, I mean, of course," she stuttered blushing furiously.

_Oh come on…because you weren't temping enough before._

My dick was straining painfully now against my jeans, and I really just needed this audition to be over so I could go to the bathroom and take care of my now massive problem.

Emmett nudged me in the ribs as Jasper came and sat down. He raised his eyebrow, to which I just rolled my eyes.

"Alright, Bella. What will you be singing for us today?" Jasper cooed lovingly. Ugh.

Bella pulled at the hem of her t-shirt—definitely a nervous tick—and looked directly at Jasper. "I'll be singing "More Than Anyone" by Gavin Degraw." I have no idea who that is, but she's already getting bonus points for not subjecting me to another rendition of "A Moment Like This."

Bella continued nervously, "…do you mind if I accompany myself on the piano?" She plays the piano? Nice.

"Of course," Jasper smiled.

Bella made her way to the piano and pulled out the bench with a loud squeal. She took a deep breath and focused.

_You need a friend, I'll be around. Don't let this end before I see you again…_

_What can I say to convince you to change your mind..._

_For me?_

Fuck. Fuck, fuck, fuck, fuck, fuck! The skies just opened, birds are helping her sew a dress, there is a fucking halo around her head. I want Bella Swan, and I want her now! My dick was now so hard that I was sure my jeans were cutting off its circulation and it was just going to fall off right here. Looking up at the gorgeous creature before me, trying my very hardest to ignore the dulcet tones of her delicious voice and watch her graceful fingers glide over the keys with ease, I snuck a peek at Emmett and Jasper. They, too, were engrossed in her performance. Discreetly I tried to adjust myself.

_Ouch. That hurt, buddy._

I grimaced as I shifted once more, the pain only steadily increasing with each second. I needed a bathroom break ASAP, stat! I sat there, drumming my fingers along the table—anything to prevent myself from palming myself through my pants in the middle of her audition. …can you imagine if she looked up to see that? Uh, hello, awkward.

As she played the final notes of her song, she looked up into my eyes, and I couldn't take it anymore. I bolted out of my seat from behind the table and fucking BOOKED IT to the bathroom. Once inside the locked room I unzipped my pants and my erection literally jumped out at me. If I weren't in so much pain, I would probably be quite amused at this situation. Slowly I wrapped one hand around my cock and placed the other one against the wall, bracing myself for my (what was sure to be) massive explosion. Oh, it came…about 45 seconds into stroking myself just picturing those long, pale fingers gliding up and down my shaft, I exploded all over the bathroom sink. Ugh, gross.

_What are you, seventeen? Jacking off in a bathroom…and you couldn't even make it last for a minute! You should be ashamed of yourself, Cullen._

Officially disgusted, I cleaned up the bathroom and myself, making sure I was presentable for the rest of the wannabes, and sauntered back out to the audition room. Thankfully, she was gone.

_Crisis averted._

"What the FUCK, Edward?"

_Oops…maybe not._

"What, Jasper?" I replied nonchalantly.

"You acted like a complete lunatic in there? I'm surprised Bella even said that she'd sing lead for us with the way you were treating her." Jasper yelled.

Hold up. Did he just say what I think he did?

"You offered her the spot? …with out consulting me?" This couldn't be happening. It would literally be like torture every second we were together that I couldn't touch her, make her moan…well, fuck—now I'm hard again.

"Yes, we offered her the spot! She was the best god damned person we saw today, and you know it, and Emmett knows it, and I definitely know it. She'll be at practice tonight at six. My house, don't be late. And please, try and act like a civilized human being while you're at it! If you so much as look at her the wrong way, I swear Emmett and I aren't above finding another guitar player. You may be my best friend, Edward, but I will WRECK you if you screw this up. Bella needs a job, and we need a lead singer, now let it be PLEASE." Jasper was pissed. I don't think I'd ever seen Jasper pissed before. Well, maybe once…when I accidentally pantsed him at our family pool party in front of Alice in high school. He was almost as red right now as he was then.

A hard hand clapped me on the back. "Broseph, don't be a fool. The girl was awesome. We sent all the other groupies home. Let's go. I'm starving."

Well fuck me now cause it was going to be a long, long year.

**Chapter End Notes: You know what to do…review, please! Bella's POV next?**


	2. Chapter 2

**AN: Thanks so much for all the words of encouragement, guys! You seriously know how to warm my little heart. I've been having the weirdest week ever, and you all totally changed it around. I decided to do some switching of POVs after all, so...here's Bella!**

BPOV

_Ugh…who the hell does he think he is?_ I thought as I kicked my car door closed.

Calm down, Bella—you just hurt your baby!

I turned around and apologized to Orlando, my 1988 black Saab. He was a little worse for wear, but I received him from my dad, Charlie, on my 16th birthday and fell in love with him shortly after. Orlando had been renovated by my best friend, Jake, and although I hate receiving presents more than the average person, I couldn't refuse this one. Orlando has treated me fairly well over the past eight years (with some minor adjustments from Jake, of course), and now, it's the only thing I have left from Charlie, so I'm trying to keep him running as best as I can.

Steadily, I turned towards my brand new apartment and took a long, deep breath. I had lived in the apartment for less than a week with a brand new roommate, and I didn't want to scare her with the amount of anger coursing through my body right now. Actually, it was Jasper who helped me find this apartment. Although I may or may not have had a little…okay, big crush on Jasper during our time spent together rehearsing Guys and Dolls, it was pretty evident that some girl named Alice held the key to his heart. It turned out that Alice had also just graduated from UW and needed a roommate. Lucky for me, since I was currently homeless and pretty broke.

I turned the key trying once more to contain my building rage. Apparently, I'm not too good at that though. The door slammed shut, pulling Alice's nose out of her _Vogue_ with a startled look on her face. The startled look quickly turned to fury.

"Oh my God, Bella—I've heard you sing! This is ridiculous. I'm going to call Jasper right now…why in God's name would they give the lead to someone else? Don't worry, I've got clout with the band. I can pull some strings, and we'll get this situation straightened out…" Alice continued rambling until I finally realized what she was saying.

"No! Uh…no, Alice…I got the job," I interjected.

"Oh." The look of confusion returned to her striking features. "Then why do you look so upset?"

I must have made a face because she moved over, making room for me on the couch. I slumped down with a loud thud and leaned back my head in frustration. Okay, Bella, be calm. You can explain this calmly and rationally.

"One of my band mates already hates me, and I have no idea what I did!" I yelled in frustration…so much for calm.

Alice looked perplexed for a second. "Which one?"

"Huh?"

"Which band mate hates you already?"

I didn't want to start thinking about it again, but all of a sudden I couldn't hold off the images of him scowling at me through my audition. Yeah, calm was _not_ going to happen.

"Edward!" I yelled. Alice cringed a little as I continued my rant. "I mean, I know I'm not the best singer in the entire world, but music has been my entire life. I was the president of my choir in high school—I sang at the White House for God's sake! And then he has the audacity to sit there drumming his fingers through my entire audition, glaring the entire time. I mean, who glares at someone during an audition? And then I accidentally made eye contact with him at one point in the song, and he grimaced. Fucking grimaced! My voice is NOT that bad, Alice. It's just not! And then, after I finished my song, he didn't even say anything. He just ran out of there! Seriously, I've never seen anyone run away so fast. I mean, what the hell? Was he going to the bathroom to pull a giant stick out of his ass or what?" Wow, what a rant. I took a deep breath and looked at Alice, who looked shell shocked.

"Uh…Alice?"

She shook her head and gave me a warm smile. "Bella, that's more than I've heard you say for the entire time you've lived here."

I thought about it. It was definitely true. Alice talked enough for the both of us. Within an hour of knowing her, I was informed that she was adopted, but she loved her adopted family more than anything and they were all extremely close, she was originally from Chicago, and she had been secretly in love with her brother's best friend, Jasper, since she was 12.

"I'm sorry," I sighed. "I usually don't get this upset. It was just the immediate hate. I don't get it." I paused for a second, not knowing if I should continue telling Alice my line of thought. I mean, Alice went to band practice at least once a week, and I'm sure she was close with all of the members. Fuck it. Just tell her. Maybe she'll be able to talk you out of it.

Doubtful. Bella, get your shit together and fess up.

"It's just that, he's just so gorgeous. Like, I could probably handle him being an asshole if I didn't want to get him in the closest locked room and do incredibly dirty things to him," I groaned. Alice's smile widened and shook her head slightly.

"Yeah, Edward tends to have that effect on most people. It's the sex hair. It's not brown, but it's not red, and it's sparkly…I promise you, no one is immune to its charm." She smiled dreamily and looked thoughtful.

Uh oh. Step off my man, bitch! Whoa, where did that come from?

"I mean, he's no Jasper, but he definitely knows how to get attention from the ladies," Alice giggled. I decided that it was okay to continue. After all, who was I going to talk to about this? Jake? I don't think so.

"So, what's his deal? Is he this much of an asshole to everyone, or am I just special?"

Alice rolled her eyes. "I wish I could say you're special…although, usually the acting like a dick comes about a week after screwing the girl. So, maybe you are special. I'll have to ask."

"No!! No, please don't do that, Alice. I have to sing with him for the next…well, hopefully few years! And, if you could keep the fact that I think he's beautiful to yourself, that'd be good, too."

She nodded solemnly and put her hand to her heart. "Of course, Bella. I would never betray your trust."

She may have been a little too energetic for me, but I could already tell that Alice and I were going to be great friends.

~ *** ~

I took a deep breath before making my way into Jasper's amazing Seattle townhouse. Alice didn't even bother knocking, grabbing the key from under a potted plant and making her way inside. Unlike Alice, I was going to head into the house at the speed of a human rather than the speeding bullet. I was a bit anxious for my first practice. Our first gig was in only two days, and I needed to prepare myself. I can think like a professional…this could be easy.

Oh please, you feel like you're about to throw up any second now.

The nauseous feeling only increased as I looked into the living room and saw Alice in Edward's lap with her arms around his neck. He kissed her cheek and ruffled her hair. They looked awfully cozy. I'm surprised that Jasper didn't lunge at Edward's throat. In fact, he didn't move at all. He just sat in his chair looking adoringly at Alice. What the hell? Why am I the only one having a bizarre reaction to this? I didn't mean to, but I guess my body just couldn't help it. My heart stopped and then took off in flight, beating 100 miles a minute. My mouth went a little dry, and my focus went a little hazy.

You stopped breathing. Focus returns when you start breathing again!

Just then Emmet clapped Alice's shoulder loudly. "'Sup, squirt? Where have you been? Eddie and I miss our favorite sister…especially when she cleans up after us. Seriously, the apartment is a mess."

Did he just say sister? Gulp. Oh my God. I just told Alice that I thought her brother was a gorgeous asshole. Fuck my life.

"S..s..sister?" I stuttered. Smooth, Bella - real smooth.

It was then that Edward acknowledged my presence in the room for the first time all evening. His piercing green eyes locked with mine, and I couldn't look away. I saw Alice looking between us with a knowing smile.

"Oh yeah, did I forget to mention that, Bella?" That damn pixie.

"You guys know each other?" Edward asked. His eyes finally broke free of mine and locked onto Alice's, even though I'm pretty sure the question was for me.

"Yes, Edward," Alice continued patronizingly. "Remember when I said I was looking for a roommate? Well, Jasper suggested Bella! And I just absolutely love living with her. But you'll still come over for sleepovers sometimes, right?"

"No, definitely not," he answered too quickly. Ass.

Just then Alice made a face at Edward, looking completely disgusted, and rolled off his lap to the other side of the couch. Edward shot Alice a dirty look. Oh well, at least it's good to know that all the glares aren't reserved especially for me. Just after one look at Alice, Edward's scowl melted into the most amazing half grin I'd ever seen. He looked…guilty? Alice burst into hysterical laughter, clutching her stomach, tears rolling down her eyes. The scowl returned.

Just then I felt an arm wrap around me. I looked up into Emmett's warm eyes. Oh well, at least one brother seemed to enjoy my company.

"They always do that," he said, referring to the silent exchange between Alice and Edward. "It's like they have their own secret language or something? It's tolerable most of the time, but sometimes it gets hella annoying," Emmett continued in a louder, pointed voice. "Like, right now. We're trying to have band practice, remember?"

Jasper shoved a piece of paper into my hands. I looked down. It was the set list. Browsing the list, it looked a little out of the ordinary.

"The Arctic Monkeys? Van Morrison? The Rolling Stones? The Darkness? What's up with all the British imports on the set list?" I wondered out loud.

"Do you have a problem with that?" Edward practically growled at me. Wow, seriously?

"I was honestly just curious…"

"Edward spent a year abroad in London and came back swearing that British bands were the soundtrack to his life. And since Edward sings lead on most of the songs, we don't really fight him on it. Plus, it's just not worth it to have to endure his PMS," Jasper laughed.

Well, glad I'm not the only one who noticed the PMS.

"All right, Bella, we're going to play through the set list, and if you have any questions or you want to add a song, just let us know. Our repertoire is pretty eclectic. Edward likes "educating" the college co-eds…in more ways than one," Emmett snickered. Edward smacked him hard on the back of the head, but Emmett just continued to laugh.

They all took their stage places. Edward was on a short stool holding a guitar with Jasper directly to his side with the bass. Emmett was on drums, of course. He definitely had the disposition of a drummer. I sighed softly and made my way over to the couch to sit next to Alice. The band began their set with the Eric Clapton version of "All Along the Watchtower." Just before he began singing, Edward's green eyes locked with mine, and the half grin came back. Smug bastard. He could definitely play the guitar. Clapton wouldn't be hurting too bad if he heard him.

Did I really just admit that?

Yes, you did. You want Edward, and he absolutely despises you for no reason. Way to go, Bella. Solid choice.

His voice was low and gravelly, but it sounded like velvet to my ears. As he continued singing towards the climax of the song, he closed his eyes and focused on the guitar solo. Oh my Lord. The things those fingers could do. The things I wanted those fingers to do to me! Was it getting hot in here? No, wait, that's just Edward. Gah! I must have been blushing furiously because Alice leaned over to me and whispered, asking if I was feeling all right. Was I feeling all right? Oh, I was feeling better than all right, but to placate her worries I took off my jacket to cool down a little bit.

Band practice practically flew by. Staring at Edward could make time accelerate, apparently. By the end, not only were panties probably soaked, but I was also indulging in some pretty lusty fantasies. My favorite so far was the one where he taught me how to play guitar, and slowly his hands would slip to my sides…then from my sides his long fingers could raise up the hem of my shirt coasting over my ribs. As soon as he felt my sharp inhalation, he would gain confidence and head further north brushing the underside of my…

"Uh, Bella?" What? Who is interrupting that amazing fantasy? I didn't even make it to second base!

"Bells, where'd you go?" Oh right, there's someone talking to me. I came back into the room, tucking away my Edward fantasies for later…probably tonight.

"Sorry, sorry, I'm back."

"No worries," Emmett smiled. Jasper and Alice were mid-conversation, and Edward continued to ignore me. Emmett continued, "I was just saying that my girlfriend just moved to Seattle, and she doesn't really have many friends. Do you want to come back to my place and hang out tonight? I think you two would really get along."

Edward's head finally snapped up, and he stared at me intently.

Well, let's weigh the options for tonight:

1-Spend hours being glared at by Edward in his apartment.

2-Spend the night, probably alone, watching reruns of Project Runway.

"Yeah, I'd love to meet her, Emmett. It sounds perfect." Emmett smiled widely again. God, did that kid never get tired of smiling? Not that I minded. His jovial disposition made up for the fact that his brother was a complete tool. Speaking of which, Edward's perma-scowl had returned. Great. And I had just signed up for God knows how many hours of this? Tonight was definitely going to be interesting.

**Chapter End Notes:**

**Review, people :)**


	3. Chapter 3

EPOV

My day had gone from bad to shittier in a matter of hours. I was so completely fucked; it wasn't even funny. As if she hadn't looked more alluring during her audition, she had pulled her hair up for practice so I could see the soft curve of her neck…it was just begging to be caressed with kisses. All practice I kept imaging pulling her hair out of that ponytail and wrapping my hands up in her chestnut waves as we…

Are you serious? Again, dude? It seemed my dick had a mind of its own today. It's not like I had ever had a problem getting it up before, but now I couldn't get it down for the life of me. I swear I thought I was going to die when Alice was sitting my lap and she walked in. My cock just had to say hello, too. I had never seen Alice get off my lap so fast in my entire life. Alice felt my boner. Oh god. Oh god!

And now to top it off, just when I thought I could go home to a long shower where I could beat it for…well, probably more than once, Emmett had to invite her over! How the hell was I supposed to keep my hands to myself for a year when I could barely do it after one day?

I walked through my apartment door and prepared for the worst. I had driven particularly slowly home, attempting to prolong the inevitable.

"Sup, Eddie? What took you so long to get home? Want a beer?" God, could Emmett have any more thoughts. I needed to get that kid some aderol. Apparently that wasn't enough because he just continued to ramble as I went and grabbed a beer from the fridge. If I was going to endure hours with blue balls I may as well get toasted.

"Seriously, Bells, you should see him drive. He's like a crazy person. I always feel like I'm going to die driving shotgun with that freak." Her laugh sounded like bells, and I needed to say something fast before I jumped her in front of everyone in the room. I don't think Emmett would take too kindly to me breaking "the rule" the first day it was implemented.

"It's a good thing I drive a Volvo then, Em. You know, they're built for safety," I retorted taking a large gulp of my beer. It was then that I noticed Rosalie and Bella completely engrossed in their conversation. As if she could feel me looking at her, Bella tilted her head towards my direction avoiding complete eye contact.

Ok, to be fair, I probably did seem like an ass to her. Alice had pulled me aside at practice and told me to be nice to Bella because she really liked her and didn't want to have to find another roommate. So…I was going to try. In moderation, of course. I couldn't very well tell her that I wanted her, now could I?

"Hey, Ed," Rose addressed me coolly.

"Hey, Rose," I replied with equal fervor. Rosalie was a complete hard ass and she respected the fact that I saw through everyone's bullshit. Just then Alice and Jasper walked in hand in hand and made their way directly for the refrigerator. After grabbing beers they flopped down onto the couch. I still didn't know why they weren't an official couple. They had both told me separately that they were "in love" with the other, yet they still couldn't get their shit together and fess up to each other.

After introductions to Rosalie were made there was a distinct lull in the conversation, and before my thoughts could turn to my dirty, dirty Bella fantasies I needed something to distract me.

"So, what are we doing tonight?" I blurted out far too fast.

As soon as I said it an evil gleam appeared in Alice's blue eyes and I regretted ever saying anything. Damn that girl and her ability to make my life a living hell.

"I think we should play a getting to know each other game!" she trilled.

"What, like, those games we played freshman year with our RA? My name is Emmett and I'm from Chicago, my major is communications and my favorite candy is skittles." He didn't look too enthused. However, Alice was definitely up to no good as her excitement continued to grow until she was shaking the couch with her incessant bouncing.

"Obviously Alice has an idea, so let's hear it," I said.

"Let's play 'Never Have I Ever'!" Alice yelped.

Never have I ever? I'd played it before…mostly at fraternity parties when I was in college. It seemed pretty harmless so I shrugged my shoulders in acceptance. Emmett, however, had clearly never played the game before and so Alice went over the rules.

"Basically, you put up 10 fingers." She splayed her fingers out in front of her for us all to see. "Then, we go around the circle and say something we've never done. If someone else has done it, though, you have to clap and put a finger down. The first one to get down to zero fingers loses!" God love her, she was so damn excited I couldn't help but smile back at her.

"Wait, why the clapping before putting a finger down?" Bella inquired.

Alice smirked. "Because that way we all know who's done what. No sneaking a finger down. And, if you clap for something particularly intriguing, we reserve the right to hear the story behind it." We all nodded in acceptance. I caught eyes with Bella again and realized that I was going to need a lot more to drink.

"How about we make it a drinking game, too? Like…drink, clap, and then put a finger down?" I suggested.

I received a loud "absolutely!" from Emmett as he ran into the kitchen to get out our 24 pack of Heineken.

"Ok, I'll start since it was my idea," Alice chirped. "Never have I ever had sex in a public shower." I choked mid-sip on my new beer and started coughing violent. Oh. So it was going to be one of _those _kinds of games. Shit, I'm totally fucked. And Alice knows all my secrets. Fuck my life.

Alice looked pointedly at me and said, "don't you have something to do, dear brother?"

I took a large swig of my beer, clapped, and put a finger down. I looked up to see the surprised face of Bella and Emmett, apparently the only two in the room who hadn't heard of that recent conquest. Emmett spoke up first.

"Yeah, um, I'm reserving the right to ask about that story."

I groaned. Of course. Because my day was going _so_ well before…

BPOV

This evening had started out with such promise, and it just took a really unfortunate turn. Meeting Rosalie was great. She was hands down the most beautiful person I had ever met, but after a few minutes of talking with her I could claim that she was also one of the smartest. She had graduated from Princeton with a degree in mechanical engineering and restored historical cars professionally. Turns out she had met Emmett at a car show in Chicago, and it was love at first sight. See—such a happy, normal couple. Now, where were we?

Ah…right. Sex in a public shower…seriously? Who even does that? Of course he's a slut, Bella…look how pretty he is. He probably has a different girl every night, and you are probably way plainer than all of them. No wonder he was so pissed that they offered me the job. He probably wanted some busty blonde who he could screw all year long.

I looked up at Edward with curiosity. As much as I probably didn't want to hear this story, I couldn't help myself from being interested. Edward squirmed under my gaze, finally looking uncomfortable. Well, glad to know he's human at least.

"Alice, I'm so going to get you back for this, so…watch your back." She stuck her tongue out at him like a child. Edward just rolled his eyes and continued, "Well…I had the pleasure of being in a fraternity during college. And I had been flirting with my Psych TA all semester long. She was fucking hot. Remember, Jasper?"

Jasper nodded, "Oh yeah—she had that whole sexy librarian thing going on. Tight skirts, glasses, buns, the whole deal. What was her name again, Edward?"

"Carrie, Katie, Caitlin? I don't remember…anyway, what I do remember was that I got really wasted at one of our parties and started texting her to come. I didn't think she'd honestly show up, I mean…she was a grad student and I was a junior in her class. Anyway, long story short...she showed up at the party and just grabbed me and pushed me into a wall somewhere. We were trying to find somewhere to go, but the all rooms were already occupied, so I pulled her into the next open room I found…which happened to be our bathroom." Edward trailed off looking at the floor intently. Emmett gasped.

"You're shower sex?" Emmett guffawed loudly. "Dude, how did I not know about this? Everyone was talking for weeks about how some drunken frat guy was fucking some chick in the group showers at Sigma Chi! I can't believe you didn't lock the door, you drunken whore."

"Shut up, Emmett." Edward snapped. He ran his hair through his perfectly disheveled bronze hair and looked up at me questioningly. Did he want a response from me? Well, that's too bad. Of course I had heard about "shower sex" as they so kindly referred to him on campus, but I wasn't going to let him know that.

"Ok, I'm going next since Alice is a snitch." Edward exclaimed loudly. He looked at Jasper, then back to Alice. "Never have I ever made out with Jasper and kept it a secret for four years." Alice gasped and jumped up, pushing Edward over.

"God, you're such an asshole, you know that?"

"Payback's a bitch, sister dearest." Alice sighed and sat down again taking a sip of her beer, clapped her hands and put her finger down. Emmett was now glaring at Jasper, who had started to go red under all the scrutiny, and I was starting to actually feel bad for him.

To alleviate the mood Jasper decided it was now his turn. "Never have I ever done anything sexual with someone of the same sex."

Uh oh. Oh, well. Brace yourself for it…I reached for my beer and took a sip and clapped. Everyone around the circle looked shocked despite the fact that Alice and Rose had also clapped.

"Seriously?" Jasper inquired. "Ok, now we reserve the right to hear the stories…and try not to leave out any important details" he snickered, looking at Alice, Rosalie, and me.

Rosalie went first. "I've been in a threesome with another girl. Emmett knows; he was there," she said with no embarrassment in her tone. She was so confident. I envied her self-assured nature. Emmett just smiled and winked at her.

"Yup, that's how we met. Right, baby?"

Rosalie just rolled her eyes. "Alice?"

She fidgeted in her seat before starting. "In high school," she said, "I really liked this guy…but he never took any notice in me. So, I started wondering if something was wrong with me and maybe I was chasing after the wrong sex." Edward scoffed. "Anyway, I asked my best friend from school if she could kiss me to make sure. So, she did. Even without tongue involved…I knew I was chasing the right person." She paused and then her eyes honed in on me. In fact, as I looked up I saw that everyone's eyes were on me, including the amazing emerald ones that I wish would find their way to the floor right about now.

"Fine! It was last year's spring break. You know…senior spring break; you tend to go a little wild, right? We were in Mexico, so my friend Jake kept buying me shots of tequila. Let's just say…apparently tequila makes my clothes fall off because several hours later Jake found me in our hotel hot tub naked and making out with another girl. I think her name was Leah, but I was so drunk at that point that I don't really remember much."

I glanced up nervously. Rosalie and Emmett were nodding in approval, Alice looked surprised, and Jasper looked beyond shocked. Of course this would surprise them. I'm meek little Bella Swan who never does anything wild or crazy. I didn't want to, but I had to see his reaction. What I saw shocked the hell out of me.

Edward's eyes were burning into mine. I don't think I had ever been looked at so intently. His eyes turned a dark jade color, and I swear to God I don't think I've ever seen a more beautiful sight. His eyes darkened with…lust?

_Yeah, uh, wishful thinking, Bella_

After my confession the game went relatively smoothly. Alice was right, though. It was a great way for us to get to know each other. I now knew that Alice had ended up being taken home by the Cullens when they visited her orphanage and she crawled into Edward's lap only to fall asleep there. I knew that Emmett had done ecstasy, which Rosalie disapproved of, and Jasper had 69-ed and it was awkward. There were several other pertinent confessions, the most interesting one being that Edward had never had sex in his own bed. The couch in his apartment, yes. A public shower, sure. The girl's apartment, hallways, backstage, a park bench—God, the guy was by far the sluttiest person I had ever encountered. I had started calling him Edward "panty-dropper" Cullen in my head. Seriously, it turns out that no girl is immune to him—Alice was right. It was no surprise when he got out first.

Around midnight Alice started yawning, and I realized that should probably get some sleep before practice again tomorrow. T minus 1 day until show time.

"Alright, I think it's time for bed." Alice hopped off the couch in agreement. She flitted around the room hugging everyone goodbye, and I felt like I should do the same. I felt so welcomed by this group of people, well, with the exception of the obvious. And I wasn't so sure anymore—I was going to spend all night thinking about those god damned green eyes. When I turned to say goodbye to him, I realized that he was already gone.

In the car I turned to Alice and gave her my best stern glare. She smiled nervously.

"I'm sorry I didn't tell you that Edward and Emmett were my brothers," she apologized.

"Yeah, that would have been pertinent information to have before I bared my soul to you, Alice."

"I know, and I really am sorry," she said sincerely. "It's just…I know how much of an ass Edward can be first hand. And I just wanted to hear what you had to say. Are you mad at me?"

Who could stay mad at those puppy dog eyes? Certainly not me. Apparently the Cullen charm was a family trait not limited by genetics. I sighed in defeat. Way to stay strong, Bella.

"No, I'm not mad at you, Alice. I just wished that you hadn't let me tell you how hot I think your brother is. Especially when I look like…well, like me."

"Bella, you're beautiful, and I'm _positive_ that my brother feels the same way," Alice giggled. I scoffed. There was no way Edward could think I was beautiful. He was all copper and green and built perfection, and I was mousy, inexperienced, and conservative. Although, there was that look after my girl-on-girl confession…No, don't go down that road, Bella. He'd probably sleep with you once, get tired of you, and then throw you away like all the other girls. I now understood how the band had gone through so many female lead singers. That must have been the pattern. I'd have to agree with them, though. If I slept with Edward only to be cast aside the next day, I'd probably quit the band, too.

No, I needed this job. I would just have to live in my daydreams after all. I would just have to stay the hell away from him. I could absolutely under no circumstances sleep with Edward Cullen.

**Chapter End Notes:**

**Famous last words, right? Haha. Reviews are like lustful gazes from Edward.**


	4. Chapter 4

**AN: Hey everyone! Thanks so much for all the kind reviews :) A few things, though.**

**I've noticed that tons of people have favorited this story/put it on alert…but not nearly as many people have actually reviewed it. I'm currently trying to get this story onto a few communities, but it needs more reviews for it to be recognized…so…if you could do your part, it'd be fabulous!**

**Also, I've written up to Chapter 21 of this story…that said, I plan on posting a chapter a day (as long as you keep up with reviews!).**

**That said, hopefully you enjoy!**

EPOV

Well, Alice's game of "never have I ever" had been interesting to say the least. I now had a vast assortment of stories to accompany my Bella fantasies. I'd stored away every single confession, remembering it for future use…hopefully. God damn it, Edward. You can't have her, remember?

Shut up and let me dream, please.

No retort. Good.

The most interesting information I received last night is the fact that Bella has only had sex with one guy. I was definitely surprised at that admission. I think she said something like, "Never have I ever slept with more than one person." To which Emmett replied, "You mean, in one night?" No, she meant EVER.

Bella had only slept with one lucky bastard named Jake, who apparently is still her best friend and living in the small town in Washington she grew up in. I didn't know the kid, but the way her eyes lit up every time she spoke of their times together…well, let's just say that I was already thinking less than cordial thoughts towards him.

The girl-on-girl confession had shocked me, to say the least, though. I thought she was going to admit to kissing a friend in high school, tame with no tongue, kind of like Alice. But, no, she had to go and fuel 100 more fantasies and talk about being wasted and fully naked, rubbing up against some other girl as they made out…their hands roaming their slippery bodies everywhere.

Okay, so…she didn't get that detailed, but in my scenario there was lots of touching, and maybe I was watching. God, when did I turn into such a sick fuck? First of all, I rarely jacked off—why do it yourself when someone else can? But in the past day alone I'd had to do it FOUR times. Four times in one day. I am a sick, sick fuck. Not even thinking about my Nana Cullen helped my perpetual blue balls. So, I took it into my own hands. Literally.

I needed to calm this problem and fast. Obviously, staying away from her was just not going to work. She was now in the band and we had practice every day. That meant I got to see her every day! Yay!

Whoa, buddy. You don't get attached to girls like this…ever.

Well, clearly Bella is different because you're smitten, Cullen.

Smitten?

Yeah, you're one step away from getting her name tattooed on your ass.

Fuck you, I can resist her!

My internal battle waged onward. As crazy as it sounded to me, I really couldn't stay away from her. More than that, I didn't want to stay away from her. I liked her. A lot. Too much. More than she liked me, which probably wasn't hard considering that I had been purposely trying to push her away yesterday. Well that was short lived. Couldn't even keep "the rule" for one Goddamned day.

I needed to know everything about her. I already knew she grew up in Forks, Washington, she dated some guy named Jake, and her father was a cop who died in the line of duty two years ago. Fuck, I actually listened when she talked. Well, I guess she actually had something to say. Tanya and Jessica and Lauren and, well, everyone I'd ever been with had never told me anything other than "harder" "faster" and "yes," nor would I have cared to listen if they really had anything else to say. They were just as shallow as I was, and that's why my life worked.

Just then I heard my phone ringing by my head, pulling me out of my turmoil. God, I'd been thinking way too much.

"Hello?" I answered annoyed. I was only a few hours away from the first gig of the school year, and I needed my alone time, clearly.

"Edward, I need your help."

I bolted straight up in bed. "What is it, Alice? Are you okay? Is everything all right?"

"I'm fine. It's actually Bella… I think she's nervous about tonight." Well, this was a new turn. Alice always reserved favors for herself.

"Alice, tell Bella that she sounded great in rehearsal for the past two days and that she has nothing to worry about. Seriously. You know that I wouldn't lie about this."

"I know you wouldn't, but…do you think you could come over and practice the set list with her. I think she just wants to sing it through to make sure she knows which parts she's singing and what you're singing. I honestly think it would calm her down. She's even all dressed and ready to go. I think that may have freaked her out a little more than I intended, but she's a performer and a perfectionist, kind of like you. She wants everything to be perfect for you guys. Please, please, please? You owe me so bad. Emmett still won't look me in the eye after finding out that Jasper deflowered me. Thanks for that, by the way," she groaned.

Debate—go spend time practicing with Bella, inevitably fighting a painful hard on, or continue to revel in Bella fantasies with one hand down my pants. I rolled over and out of bed.

"I'll be there in 15." I slammed the phone shut. I had no idea what I was doing, but I knew I needed to calm Bella down before the gig tonight.

A flustered Alice threw open the door before I could even walk up the front steps to their apartment.

"Thank god you're here, Edward! She's in the bathroom, and I'm pretty sure she's having a nervous breakdown. She won't open the door for me," Alice said frantically pushing me towards the bathroom door.

Nervously, I stopped in front of the door. I could definitely hear heavy breathing and sniffling through the door. Was she crying? Shit, I don't know how to deal with crying girls. I could barely handle a crying Alice much less a crying Bella. I knocked lightly on the door.

"Hey, Bella? It's Edward. Can you let me in?" I listened carefully for any sort of reaction. I'm pretty sure I heard a gasp, but at least the sniffling had stopped. Thank God for small miracles. No more crying. But she still hasn't moved towards the door. Alice continued to look distraught. I needed to try again.

"Listen, I know I'm probably the last person you want to see right now, but I really need to talk to you about something important. Can you just unlock the door? You don't even need to come out of the bathroom if you don't want to." Still nothing. Five seconds and I'm trying again. 1….2….3….4….

Suddenly, the door clicked open. I released the breath I didn't know that I'd been holding. She unlocked the door for me. Small victory, but she wouldn't open it for Alice so I felt pretty smug. I opened the door and stepped in, ready to face whatever lay ahead.

Bella had moved herself to lean against the side of the giant bathtub. Even tear stained and splotchy, she was still a goddess. Alice had clearly dressed her. Her waves had been ironed straight and pinned back away from her face. Her face. Wow. She had the longest black eyelashes I had ever seen, and her tears had smudged her makeup so it looked sultry and smoky…probably not Alice's intended effect, but it worked. Then to top off my misery, she was wearing skintight jeans with high-heeled boots. Oh god, what I wouldn't do to fuck her in those boots.

Focus, Cullen.

Right…sorry.

Her top was deep blue, which made her skin look even creamier and delicious. She was looking straight at me when I realized that I was probably making her uncomfortable with my staring. Unsure of what to do, I put my hands in my pockets and shrugged.

"C…c…could you c…c…close the d…door?" she asked. God, how could I say no to anything she asked of me. She looked so helpless sitting on the floor. I closed the door quickly and joined her, sitting with my back to the wall opposite her ready to calm her down any way I could.

BPOV

Alice wasn't joking around when she said that she'd take me out of the bathroom by force. She said she was calling her brother to get me out of the bathroom, so naturally I assumed she was calling Emmett to literally tear down the door. I was not expecting the rich, velvet voice on the other side of the door. I was so shocked that I actually gasped out loud when he announced his presence. I made no move toward the door. Maybe if I didn't say anything he would just go away.

But then he begged me to unlock the door. Shit, shit shit. How could I refuse the dulcet tones of his magical, panty dropping voice? It was truly magical. It made my body do things that I was not in control of. I finally stood up and unlocked the door and sank back down against the tub. If he wanted to come in, he could.

He shocked me once again by actually coming through the door. I must have looked a complete mess because he just stood in the doorway gaping at me. After all of Alice's hard work getting me into this outfit and straightening my unruly hair, I couldn't let her see me like this.

This boy was just full of surprises because at my request, he closed the door and sank down across from me on the floor. His green eyes looked kind for the first time, and it was in that breath that I knew. I was definitely crushing on Edward "panty-dropper" Cullen, and I was just going to have to suck it up and deal.

"So, what's the matter, Bella?" he asked nervously. "Alice told me that you were nervous about tonight?" I couldn't say anything, so I just nodded slowly. I wasn't ready to talk yet. Apparently he was, though. "Bella, I know I haven't been the nicest guy to you, but that's just me. If I wasn't such an ass, I would have admitted to you yesterday how glad I am that you're in our band. Our past lead singers couldn't hold a candle to you. You are the most musically gifted person I think I've ever had the pleasure of knowing."

Wait, what? What did I do to earn the privilege of this Edward? He was being…sweet. The corner of his mouth twitched up into that half grin that I loved so much, and like usual, I couldn't stop my body's reaction. I burst into a fresh round of tears, putting my head into my hands to avoid Edward's inevitable departure from the bathroom.

What in God's name is wrong with me? The boy I've fallen head over heels for just told I'm that he's glad I'm around. If nothing else, he thinks I've got a good voice! Calm down.

I heard movement from the other side of the room, so I assumed that Edward was fleeing. Typical guy. Can't deal with a crying girl. It was at that moment when I felt sparks of electricity caressing my knees. Holy crap, is that what I think it is? Can he feel that too?

I looked up into the most beautiful emerald eyes, now only inches away from mine. My breathing hitched, and I stopped crying, completely bewildered by his actions. He was now sitting cross-legged directly in front of me, caressing my knees with his thumbs.

"Bella? Bella—I can't help you if you don't tell me why you're upset." Why does he sound concerned? Why hasn't he stopped touching me? Oh God, he is even more beautiful close up. And I can smell him. GAH! I may not have been crying anymore, but I could feel other places getting wet. I took a deep breath and considered my next words.

"Why are you being nice to me?"

The glare I had come to know and hate came back for a second, but it slowly morphed into a look of confusion. Did I have to explain myself to him? He said nothing, so apparently I did.

"You hate me." The electricity intensified as he slid his hands slightly up my thighs and gripped them hard.

"You think I hate you?" he seethed. "I absolutely do not hate you. Why in the hell would you think I hated you?"

"I, I don't know. I thought that you'd want someone hotter as the lead singer. I mean, isn't that why you have a female lead in the first place? Someone hot to attract all the frat guys to the bar, and someone for you to screw around with?" Wow, did I really just admit that? Where in God's name did my filter run off to?

Oh, I don't know—probably the same place your head and inhibitions went to as soon as you first locked eyes with Edward.

"Holy shit, Bella. That is like the farthest thing from the truth. I mean, you're right about the screwing around with the lead singers and attracting the frat guys—"

"Yeah, that doesn't make me feel any better, Edward."

"Swan, will you please let me continue?"

I nodded slightly.

"The fact that you don't think you're beautiful, and that I would hate you for not being hot—that's fucked up." Edward looked pissed. I didn't know what to do. What was he saying? He thought I was beautiful? Is it even possible for such perfection to think about me in such a way? Doubtful. He was lying to make me feel better before the gig. He wanted me confident, that's all.

"You don't have to lie to me. I know I'm not beautiful. It was nice of you to say, though, Edward." I sighed and looked down at my legs. His hands were now gripping my thighs so hard that it was bordering on painful, not that I was complaining.

Just then, I felt the electric pulse under my chin as he lifted it to look him in the eyes once again. I felt like I was drowning in them. He had to know how much I wished I could be more beautiful for him. He looked into my eyes, searching for something. I don't know what he saw there, but he all of a sudden looked embarrassed. He looked up to the ceiling, contemplating what his next move should be and then looked straight back at me with the same darkened eyes I had seen the other night.

"Please forgive me for what I'm about to do. Please, Bella. I need you to not freak out or anything." I nodded in confusion. What in God's name is he going to do that he has to apologize for? Oh, probably turn me down. Crap. "I can't believe I'm going to do this…. Emmett is going to kill me," he continued nervously.

Before I had time to think about what he meant by that line, my hand was pulled from my lap by his hand and was placed on his…OH MY GOD. Is that what I think it is???

I looked up into his eyes with complete shock and even a little bit of awe. He looked apologetic, although I had no idea why. I looked back down at my hand, which was now placed over the crotch of his pants. And I could definitely feel what was underneath. Damn, he really was perfect.

"Bella, trust me when I say you are the most beautiful woman I've ever seen, and it is painful…in more ways than one…to be around you and not be able to touch you."

I didn't let him continue. My body just responded to his words without even connecting the pieces.

Fuck the consequences.

I grabbed the back of his neck, pulling him towards me. I met no resistance as I crashed my lips to his.

**Chapter End Notes:**

**Cliff hanger…dun dun dun. Ok, if you want an update tomorrow, please review? Pretty please with Edward on top?**

**Thanks, guys!!!**


	5. Chapter 5

**AN: So, you guys are officially amazing! Seriously--every time I get another review, I can't keep a shit eating grin off my face, haha. It would make my day if more people would review, though. Anyway, thanks to everyone for enjoying the sick pervert that is Edward Cullen as much as I do (apparently I have the mind of a man-whore). Hopefully this chapter doesn't disappoint. **

**Shout out to my bestie, kaystu for reading all my chapters and validating me wayyy before anyone else ;) sorry that i sucked you into this world, but i'm glad you're here to enjoy it with me.**

**Alright, ONWARD!**

EPOV

Oh my God. Did I actually just put Bella's hand on my boner? I looked down. Yup, it's still there. If it were humanly possible, I got harder. I'm going to pull a 15 year-old boy and just jizz in my pants. This is absolutely ridiculous, and I'm sure she's absolutely appalled by my behavior. I mean, if the situation were reversed, I would definitely be upset.

Yeah, but she hasn't moved yet.

Probably because she's contemplating where to slap you, you perverted bastard!

How could she possibly think that I hate her, though? I had to apologize. She is probably freaked out beyond belief right now. Or, I could just come clean and tell her that I thought she was beautiful. She had to know that being around her kept me in a constant state of arousal. I mean, I was so sure she had seen through my false bravado and sarcasm. Apparently she hadn't.

"Bella, trust me when I say you are the most beautiful woman I've ever seen, and it is painful…in more ways than one…to be around you and not be able to touch you," I confessed nervously.

Just when I thought I was going to be smacked across my face and be called out for being a perv, the most amazing thing happened. I felt a tug at my neck and the next thing I knew, Bella's lips were on mine.

Oh, God, I had never felt anything this good before. Her tongue slid over my bottom lip, and I had to comply and open up. Who was I to fight her? Wait—does this mean that she wants me just as much as I want her?

Stop over thinking, Cullen…just enjoy this. Bella just kissed you for Christ's sake!

Dear lord, she tasted better than she smelled, which was my new favorite scent…all freesia and strawberry and sunshine and sex. I couldn't hold back any longer. My tongue met hers and she moaned into my mouth. Jesus, I really was going to lose it in my pants. Her taste was like ambrosia. She was a drug that I would need multiple fixes of.

My hands had a mind of their own, as they seemed to when thoughts of Bella were involved, and I pulled her towards my lap. She straddled my lap, knees on the cold, marble floor, knotting her hands in my hair, pulling me closer. Oh, if I could get closer, I would, baby, believe me. As if she were reading my mind, her hips ground themselves into mine. Not breaking our kiss, my fingers found the hem of her shirt and slowly started pushing it up. Her skin was soft and warm underneath my callused fingers. Her kiss got more insistent, and egged on by her actions, I slid my hands further up her torso and discovered that Bella wasn't wearing a bra. Fucking shit, I am 10 seconds away from creaming myself.

Edward, you need to stop…NOW!

No, I can't. I want more.

Do you really want to blow your load feeling her up on the floor of your sister's bathroom?

That brought me back into reality. I pulled back and looked at her flushed face, excited eyes, and swollen lips and immediately felt like an ass. Emmett and Jasper SHOULD kick me out of the band for how I'm behaving. Guilt is a powerful feeling apparently.

"Shit, Bella. We can't do this." See, I could be the voice of reason when I had to be.

Her face went from being flushed with excitement to blushing in…embarrassment? I couldn't exactly tell because her eyes were suddenly downcast. She quickly pushed herself off of my lap and stood, fixing her hair and wrinkled clothes.

"Right…I, I'm so sorry, that was stupid. I just thought that…well, I guess I wasn't thinking," she said, her eyes searching the cracks of the floor. What I wouldn't give to know what she was thinking at that moment. Was it as painful for her to pull away from me as it was for me to stop her? God, I hoped so.

"Edward, it's okay. You were just comforting me, and…that's how you know how to comfort. It's fine. You don't need to say anything," she continued meekly.

Wait, what? She still thought I didn't want her? After grabbing her hand, literally placing it on my dick, and then practically eating her face she thinks I don't want her? Why does this girl have to be so damn difficult? I needed to stand and explain myself.

"Bella, wait," I said as I grabbed her wrist. She was trying to run away, and I was not going to let that happen. As she turned to face me, I saw it for the first time. There was pain in her eyes; she thought I had rejected her. She thinks I stopped the kiss because she wasn't good enough for me. Didn't she just say that's how she felt? And then I proved her right…because once again, I am an ass.

"I am sorry that you think that I was just comforting you because that's not what happened…at least, not for me." She wasn't responding, so I laced my fingers with her, hoping to convey even an ounce of what I was feeling for her at that moment.

What am I feeling?

You love her, Cullen.

I don't love her, I barely know her…

You've loved her since the second she walked into that audition, you pansy, and fighting it is only going to make it worse. You've already hurt her feelings, and you need to make this right. If you fix it, maybe you can still be friends.

I know, I know! But I'm not telling her I love her! It's way too soon for that.

Fine.

Happy that the voices in my head had stopped fighting each other, I pulled at her hand bringing her closer to me. Looking down into her chocolate eyes, I knew that I never wanted to hurt her again. Better to come clean now than months down the road, right? She deserves to know.

"Edward, what?" I interrupted her confused diatribe with a searing kiss. This one had to last me until forever, so I poured every ounce of passion and confusion into it. This was so new for me. I'm usually the one turning down girls left and right, never staying with them past the point of convenience. Now, here I am, about to profess myself to a girl I'd known for barely 72 hours.

Owned, Cullen.

She opened her mouth slightly, and I greedily tasted her again. She grabbed my tongue with her lips and sucked on it. Now it was my turn to moan in response. Shit, this was going to be so much harder than I thought. In fact, I'm purposely making this harder on myself than it has to be.

Our moment of passion was interrupted by a loud knock on the bathroom door. We jumped back from one another as if we were on fire just as Alice poked her head into the bathroom.

"Hey guys, it got quiet in here, so I assumed everything was okay. Bella, are you feeling better about tonight?" Perfect timing, Alice. Really.

Alice looked between Bella and me and raised her eyebrow. Our secret language (as Emmett called it) was pretty handy right about now. With just one look I was able to tell her, "Not now!" to which she silently responded, "You're in trouble, and we will talk about this later."

Bella sputtered back quickly, "Yes. I'm much better now," she blushed as she met my curious eyes. "Um, Alice, I'm so sorry, but I messed up my makeup. Do you think you could help me fix it?"

"Of course. Just come into my room when you're ready," Alice exclaimed as she made her way out of the bathroom. Bella went to follow her, but I grabbed her hand again.

"Bella, I really need to talk to you about something. There's this rule that Emmett and Jasper came up with…" I said nervously. I couldn't leave without telling her that I wanted to be with her. Unfortunately that wasn't in the cards because Bella, who had finally calmed down from her recent burst of hysteria, just rolled her eyes and cut me off.

"Edward, if it's a band thing, we can talk about it tonight. I should really go, and so should you. I'll see you in an hour at The Mansion, okay? Thanks for calming me down, though."

My body ached to hold her and never let her go, but she was right. I did have to go home and get ready for tonight (aka, put on a clean black t-shirt and run my fingers through my hair).

Before I was able to respond, she had already disappeared from the bathroom.

BPOV

Oh my God. My heart could not possibly beat any faster than it was at this very moment. What was that?

There was a moment. Edward freaking Cullen kissed me back. He really did. And it was the most alive I'd ever felt in my entire life. It was as if every cell in my body was burning. Had Alice not knocked before she came into the bathroom, I am almost positive there would have been significantly less clothing on both of us.

There was a hard yank at my hair.

"Ow, Alice! What the hell?"

"Bella! What in God's name happened to your hair? It was beautifully straightened an hour ago, and now it's looking closer to a rat's nest. Ugh," Alice moaned in frustration.

I looked into the mirror and gasped in shock. My makeup was smudged and smoky, and my tear tracks were all gone, replaced with the flush I was still feeling from having my body pressed against Edward's. Despite the fact that Alice was right about the state of my hair, I was practically glowing. My God, when his rough fingers brushed against my ribs, each fingertip burned my skin. I never knew that being touched could feel like that. It certainly never felt that way with Jake.

Then I remembered something Edward had said. I really didn't need any more pre-gig surprises.

"Hey, Alice…Edward mentioned something just before he left, and I was wondering if you could tell me about it?"

"Sure, what's up?" Alice's eyes sparkled with curiosity as she continued her ministrations on my hair.

"He said that Emmett and Jasper created some kind of rule for the band…" I was cut off by Alice's uncontrollable giggling. I tried my best to look annoyed, and Alice finally calmed down.

"Sorry, sorry. "The rule" is pretty necessary. It's actually the reason that you're in the band to begin with." Now my curiosity was piqued. "Anyway, the band has lost about three lead singers just since January." Alice seemed to be remembering something. "Yeah, first there was Lauren." Alice made a face. "She was super trashy looking. She thought she was stylish, but really she was just over bleached, underweight, and way too eager." She shuddered.

"Eager?"

"Oh, yeah. She pursued Edward from the second she started with the band. And, well, I love my brother, but he tends to be a bit lazy and slutty. It's not a great combination. Lauren was simply easy, and they started going out. But Edward didn't actually like her or anything, she was just there. When he got bored with her, he moved on, and Lauren couldn't stand it anymore and left the band."

I cringed. It was one thing to imagine that scenario, but it was another to have it confirmed.

Alice continued, "Basically the same thing happened with the next two singers, Jessica and Tanya. They just didn't understand Edward, that's all. I know this story makes him sound like crap, but he's really the best brother in the entire world, and I'm not sure what he said to you, but he managed to calm you down when I couldn't, so he can't be all bad, right?"

I pondered that for a second. Yes, he calmed me down…by telling me I was beautiful and then giving me one of the best kisses of my entire life.

"Wait, so what's the rule?"

"Ah, yes. The rule," Alice giggled again. "Emmett and Jasper were so fed up with the way that Edward was making his way through the population of female singers that they made a new rule. It's supposed to be a band rule, but it's pretty much just for Edward."

"And that is…?"

"No intra-band hook ups."

"Oh." Wow. Well that sucks.

"There we go, all done!" Alice chirped. I looked up and gasped. I did not look like plain Bella Swan. Not at all. Who was this sexy siren in the mirror? Alice smiled warmly and hugged me in excitement.

"You're going to be so great tonight, Bella! Let's go."

~ *** ~

The Mansion was already packed when we arrived. As I made my way backstage, I started getting nervous again. Emmett and Jasper were laughing about something as I approached. As they turned towards me, Jasper's eyes widened.

"Wow, Bella, you look incredible!"

"Thanks, Jasper," I replied as he snaked his arm around my waist. I leaned my head into his shoulder, closed my eyes, and took a deep breath to calm myself down again.

"Hey, hey…none of that, Jasper! The rule includes you, too, you know," Emmett barked. I guess he still hadn't completely forgiven him for the Alice situation yet. Jasper rolled his eyes and exaggeratedly grabbed my face and kissed my cheek. Emmett huffed loudly and stomped away. I looked at Jasper and just laughed.

I didn't even need to look up; I could feel his eyes on me. Turning around, there was Edward, just like I knew he would be. He looked spectacular, as usual. His black t-shirt only made his bronze hair and green eyes stand out more. Eyes which were now looking a little angry…at Jasper?

Oh! Well, this is awkward.

"Hey, Edward," I smiled. See…I can be flirty. I licked my lips, wishing his taste was still there instead of the lip gloss that Alice had packed on. The hairs on my arm prickled as he came and stood next to me.

"So about before…" He looked nervously up at Jasper, who was clearly distracted—probably trying to find Alice in the crowd. I leaned in towards his ear and whispered, "I heard about the rule, Edward, it's fine."

He looked confused. "It is?"

I put my arm on his shoulder, trying my hardest to ignore the sparks being ignited in my fingertips and coursing through my body. "I'm just relieved to know that you don't hate me. …friends?"

I had already come to the conclusion on the ride over here that I didn't care about the rule right now. I would take whatever part of Edward he was willing to give me. I am a greedy, greedy bitch. Plus, the rule would never apply to me because I would never quit the band if it meant I would have to leave Edward.

He cocked his head to the side slightly as my favorite half grin returned. It was too cute. The lopsided smile got larger as he took my hand off of his shoulder and gave it a small squeeze.

"Friends."

**Chapter End Notes:**

**Any guesses as to how long this friend business is going to last? Hahah. Metaphorical hands on Edward's boner for reviewing :)**


	6. Chapter 6

**AN: This chapter is a little different than the others...and it originally wasn't going to be in the story, but I felt like you should know what the original set list is and how it changes over the course of the story. So, here is THE GIG (as told by Edward, of course).**

**PS - I actually do love all of these songs, and I have them all on my computer -- I'm trying to figure out how to put links to them on my profile, but I'm really new at this, so...bear with me while I weather the waters!**

EPOV

"Friends" was going to have to suffice for now because I had a gig to do.

GAME ON, Edward.

I have been told that I am musically gifted since I was two years old. That was the year when Emmett and I decided to put on a show for our parents and sang "Kokomo" by the Beach Boys on Christmas morning. Apparently Emmett's singing left something to be desired, but my two-year-old voice came straight from the heavens (or so my mother told me). That videotape still needs to be burned. Yes, performing came easily, but it was also something that I loved passionately. If I wasn't playing, singing, and (gulp) composing, I would be very lost. In fact, I was completely in control of our set list simply because I would go ape shit if someone else tried to tell me what to sing. That was a little conundrum Bella and I found ourselves in the other day.

Since we only had a few days to prepare Bella, we decided to let her perform songs that she knew incredibly well already. Emmett, Jasper, and I had agreed even before letting anyone into the band that the new singer would only perform 3 songs on their opening night…then, if they were good enough and wanted to, they could increase the number from there. I showed her the set list, and sure enough she had something to say about it. She liked the music a lot, but most of the songs that our girl had been singing before she thought was too generic or too overplayed. At the time, I thought I was going to kill Bella for trying to alter the set list. Now it's just another one of her endearing qualities.

God, I am just disgusting myself now…

Each song that I picked for our set list was a favorite of mine and/or held some special sentimental value. Singing through the set list tonight, though…each song was given a whole new meaning.

The gig started off as usual. Emmett, Jasper, and I introduced ourselves—we're known as "The Feedback."

Pretty lame, I know. Emmett thought it was super clever, and I didn't have a better idea, so it kind of stuck.

**All Along The Watchtower – The Jimi Hendrix Experience**

The first time I heard this song, I was seven years old. I was helping my father, Carlisle, fix up his Cadillac in the garage when it came on the radio. It was one of those ethereal moments where nothing else matters and no one can touch you. After the song ended, Carlisle just looked at me and smiled to which I replied, "Daddy, when I grow up, I'm going to be a rock star." Carlisle just shook his head knowingly and asked to pass him the wrench. By the age of 9, I was a self-taught guitarist. And not to inflate my ego, or anything, but I saw Bella's face when I played the guitar solo.

I smirked and played extra hard.

**I Believe In A Thing Called Love – The Darkness**

This was a staple of our set. I fell in love with the song a few months before I went mainstream, but it was one of those songs that didn't lose appeal after it hit the radio.

_Can't explain all the feelings that you're making me feel_

_My heart's in overdrive and you're behind the steering wheel_

_Touching you, touching me_

_Touching you, God you're touching me_

Wow, those words took on a completely new meaning. The song, which had once been all about the guitar riffs for me, now had my heart literally pounding into overdrive. I chanced a peak into the wings to see if I could spot Bella. Completely unaware of her charm, she was watching us with rapt attention. Her mouth curled up into a sly grin, and I wondered if she was thinking about our recent bathroom kiss, too.

**The Middle – Jimmy Eat World**

The crowd loves this song. It makes them come alive, but right now it just made me feel guilty. The lyrics talk about a girl who feels left out and looked down upon. I still couldn't believe that Bella didn't realize how incredibly beautiful she actually was. I mean, I put her hand on my erect penis, only to think I was rejecting her 10 seconds later. That girl's mood swings were sure to give me whiplash, but grinning like an idiot, I knew I would take it.

**Mr. Brightside – The Killers**

_It started out with a kiss, how did it end up like this? It was only a kiss_.

Oh, yeah, Brandon Flowers, I hear you. How DID it end up like this? I promised myself that I would adhere to "the rule" and I've already gone and broken it. That kiss changed everything. Not the one where she jumped me (not that I didn't enjoy that), but the one where I kissed her. At this time, I would usually be scoping out the audience to see who I was going to be taking home later. Not tonight. No, now I was peering into the wings once again to catch a glimpse of my "friend."

After "Mr. Brightside" it was time to introduce Bella.

**1963 – Rachel Yamagata**

I looked in the wings, and for a second I thought we had really fucked up by letting Bella into the band. She looked like the vulnerable, intimidated girl from the bathroom floor, and even a little bit nauseous. But, as soon as I announced, "Please welcome our newest band member, the lovely Miss Bella Swan," it was as if she became a different person. I recognized her confident stride from the first moment I saw her walk into the audition, and I knew that Jasper had been right. The girl OWNS the stage.

I hadn't heard her practice the song, to be honest. It was a piano, bass, and drums song only, but God—when she sang the chorus, I'm pretty sure my mouth dropped open.

_I feel like I'm loving you in 1963 (hey)_

_Flowers in my hair (hey)_

_Little bitty hearts upon my cheek_

_Baby, you'll be on my mind_

_Til I kiss you next time_

I looked around to see if anyone could tell how hard I was breathing, until I realized that I was perfectly concealed backstage. Her head tilted back, and her eyes closed, losing herself completely in the music. It was one of those ethereal moments I was talking about before. I knew unequivocally from that moment on, something in my entire universe had changed. No one else but Bella would suffice. I was captivated by her stage presence. Naturally, the audience completely fell in love with her, too. I swear, the drunken frat boy cat-calls were starting to grate my nerves.

**Are You Going To Be My Girl – Jet**

Now that I had Bella on stage with me, I wasn't goin to let her go anywhere. In fact, I may have brushed up against her a little too often during, but…seriously, the lyrics to the song just BEGGED me to take her home and ravage her.

_Big black boots _

_Long brown hair_

_She's so sweet with her get back stare_

Truer words had never been sung before. I mean, yes, the song had been a part of our set for as long as I could remember, but…the words gained new meaning with Bella around. Did I mention that she was wearing black fuck me boots? Mmm, Bella with nothing but those boots on…

Focus, Cullen. You can give her some riding lessons later. Dirty, dirty girl.

Oh, yeah, this was now little seductress Bella on stage. God, the way her hips swayed to the music was too enticing for her own good. And when she put her boot-clad foot up on my stool, I just couldn't let the opportunity go to waste, now could I? As soon as her foot was hitched up on the step of the stool, I had to get my hands on her legs. Working my way up over her knee high boots and sliding them over the tight denim of her jeans, she kicked out her foot and turned around, swaying her perfect ass just out of my reach.

Yeah, cock-tease.

**Fluorescent Adolescent – Arctic Monkeys**

This was my absolute favorite song that I've ever heard performed live. When I lived in London, I went to a small club called the Dublin Castle where these guys played. Let me tell you, I've never seen more enthusiastic players, and that's saying something.

Now, though, I was singing it to Bella.

_You used to get it in your fishnets_

_Now you only get it in your night dress_

_Started all the naughty nights with niceness_

_Landed in a very common crisis_

The words definitely had more meaning now that I knew about Bella's sex life. Thank you, Alice, and your blush inducing games. Let's just say that the spark kind of flickered out on Bella and Jake. Thank God! …now I can fill that gap. I would bet a million dollars that sex with Bella would be the hottest thing I'd ever experienced, despite the fact that I'd definitely been around the block and then some.

**Song 2 – Blur**

Uh oh. Now started my old favorite part of the set. The Edward is a douche bag part of the set. I used to pride myself on the fact that I could blatantly sing about being an ass and still go home with the hottest girl at the bar.

Lyrics like,_ Well I lie, and I'm easy all of the time_ just seemed empty now.

**Terrible Person – Rooney**

Continuing the theme, of course. God, I'm really going to have to shape up this set list in the near future.

Jasper looked at me in confusion. This was usually my favorite song of the night—my mantra, if you will. I must have made a face because he looked fairly concerned.

Shape up, Cullen. No one can suspect anything!

**Born Under A Bad Sign – Cream**

I should really be concerned at this point that I had a three song run about how awful I am at life, right? If Bella noticed anything, though, she never let it show. The girl just worked the crowd, never upstaging the band, just complimenting it perfectly.

I grumbled, realizing that Jasper actually knew what he was talking about with her. I hate it when he's knows better than me.

Wow, apparently I need to work on my ego, too. Why do girls love a conceited asshole?

**Take Me Out – Franz Ferdinand**

Oh, God, Cullen—you really need to rework your set list in light of new developments. This was now the Edward's a slut part of the set. I mean, it was pretty necessary because it gave me a chance to serenade and eye fuck whoever I wanted in the audience. They were pretty easy songs, so it gave me a chance to channel that inner rock God and showcase my body.

What? I've been told by all the girls I've been with that I'm nice to look at. Is it a crime to play that up?

_So if you're lonely_

_You know I'm here waiting for you_

I chanced a look out at the audience, and yes, there were many girls who I would previously have accepted crawling all over my cock. Not tonight, though.

Probably never again, pussy.

Shh! We're doing a gig right now.

**Sex On Fire – Kings of Leon**

Well, this is just a great song. It may be slutty, and it may have gotten a few girls to blow me backstage, but you can't deny that it's a great song. Apparently Bella thought so, too, because she made her way over to both Jasper and I and basically eye fucked the shit out of us. Not that I was complaining, but I was starting to think that she maybe had a thing for Jasper, and that was just unacceptable.

Dude, she just made out with you in her bathroom. She wants you!

Yeah, but you can't do anything about it anymore!

Um…neither can Jasper. Last time I checked, he was still in the band.

Right. Hmph.

Now that I had her by me, though, I wasn't going to let her escape. I grabbed her hand and pulled her flush against my body. Not a good idea in retrospect. I'm singing about having hot, hot sex with Bella pressed up against my now VERY erect penis. Good thing these jeans are tight. Bella just played along, though. The cock-tease came back out to play as she turned around in my arms and ground her ass against me.

It was lucky that my guitar was attached by a strap because otherwise it would have fallen right on the fucking ground. Holy shit, Bella. You should come with a warning label that reads, "DO NOT PUT ON STAGE. MAY CAUSE EXTREME BLUE BALLS."

**Baby Please Don't Go – Van Morrison**

Not my favorite song of Van Morrison's by any means, but if it meant I got to stare at Bella's ass with no shame, I wasn't going to remove it from the set list any time soon. Those jeans were good jeans to have. It's not like I had never taken notice of a hot ass before, but Bella's was now causing extreme discomfort in my pants. The seductive nature of the song wasn't helping either.

And then, the worst thing that could have possibly happened, happened. I looked down at the set list and just groaned. Jasper heard me and laughed heartily.

Yeah, Jasper, laugh it up, but you'll probably have a hard on in T minus 10 seconds, too.

At least I wouldn't be alone. No, all the males in the audience were going to be thinking about fucking my Bella.

Ugh.

**I Kissed A Girl – Katy Perry**

Yeah, Bella DID kiss a girl, and she admit last night that she enjoyed it. This was neither the time nor the place for my three-way hot tub fantasies to reappear, but it seemed like Bella didn't care what I thought. She pushed me down onto the stool and sang the song directly to me. I tried to avoid eye contact, but when she sang, _It's not what good girls do, not how they should behave_, I looked straight into her brown eyes and then down to her plump, pink lips…I was in serious danger of busting a nut on stage.

Not good, Cullen.

She segued seamlessly into her last song of the night.

**Car Song – Elastica**

Thank you! There is a God. This song reminded me of…Tanya. And there goes my boner. Crisis averted. Tanya's favorite place to fuck was the car, and singing a song about it was just an added bonus. Obviously, Bella did a much better job than Tanya could ever do, but now that I finally had my cock under control, I was going to do my very hardest to avoid any kind of contact with Bella.

The set list had other ideas, though. Seriously, who approved this shit?

Oh, right. Me.

bI Saw Her Standing There – The Beatles/b

This was our most playful song by far. Jasper even came in on the harmonies with me. I tried my very hardest to forget that the song was about someone falling in love and realizing that he could never be with another girl.

Forget, damn it! I said FORGET!

It just wasn't possible. I was officially a goner.

Although this song was supposed to be our finale, we always came back out for an encore.

**Missing You – Tyler Hilton**

Ok, so this song isn't actually written by Tyler Hilton. I looked it up, and apparently it was written by John Waite sometime during the 80s. But, Alice often likes to torture me with her music in my car. However, I was pleasantly surprised by the One Tree Hill soundtrack she put in one day. I'm not saying that I'd ever watch the show. No way! (Okay, maybe once, but I made Alice turn it off like halfway through). Tyler actually played a character on the show (which significantly decreased his cool factor), but his version of the song was rich and acoustic and raw and powerful. Emmett hated it because he had to play the tambourine (sorry, bro), but I kind of fell in love with it.

Needless to say, I was shocked as hell to find out that Bella had grabbed a microphone and was harmonizing perfectly with me. On the recording, there were these amazing harmonies, but Jasper wasn't confident enough to ever sing them with me, especially since it's our encore.

Wow. Just wow.

_There's a message that I've been sending out like a telegraph to your soul_

_If I can't bridge this distance, honey, stop this heartache_

_No, I ain't missing you at all_

I looked at her and raised my eyebrows. She just smirked in return sending my cock straight back up.

It was official, Bella Swan would be the death of me.

**Chapter End Notes:**

**So, there's the set! I will be posting their set list on my profile if you wanted to go take a look :) Other than that, just remember to review, please!**


	7. Chapter 7

**AN: Not much to say except…it's still not mine…and a huge thanks to everyone out there who is reading and reviewing :) Also, a special thanks to Twilightholic-Tanya and SWaK reader for adding my story to their communities!**

EPOV

I was still breathing heavily as we made our way off stage, applause loud in our ears. I turned around, scanning the empty stage for a glimpse of my favorite cock-tease when I felt an arm wrap around my waist.

I looked down, and sure enough, there was the brunette beauty I had been searching for…my "friend." Please, what a joke—it wasn't like my constant erection was magically going to subside because we'd decided to put on a "friend" label. No. If anything, it was only going to get worse now, because instead of ignoring her and conjuring her image in my fantasies, I was going to have the real thing around me whenever I wanted. And the real thing was SO much better than my fantasies, I cannot even tell you.

But, now my "friend" was looking up at me with a flushed face and those excited eyes that I recognized from our time on the bathroom floor, and I couldn't help but think that I had made the right decision. I would take being Bella's friend over ignoring her any day.

Cullen, you're such a pussy.

"Bro, we totally rocked tonight!" Emmett bellowed as he ran past us, tearing Bella away from my side and spinning her in the air. Her face did that amazing blush thing it does—not too red to make it look like she'd been working out too hard, just a pink tint to her cheeks.

Yup, I'm officially a pussy.

"Celebratory shots at the bar!"

"Emmett, I am NOT doing shots," Bella retorted, retreating into her nervous, shy demeanor. Hmm, I was definitely going to have to find a way to keep the cock-tease out more often. Shots might actually work.

"Yeah, shots!" I jumped in. Emmett bumped my fist and then ruffled my already disheveled hair.

"That's the spirit! …hey, where's Jasper?" Bella asked curiously.

Huh, what's with the Jasper fascination, Bella?

Shut up, Cullen—they're friends. No need to get so jealous.

I'm not jealous! …wait, are they friends like Bella and I are "friends" because then I'll beat his ass down—

Bella and Emmett dragged me to the bar, once again pulling me out of my inner monologue (which was really starting to grate my nerves, by the way). Emmett pounded on the bar noisily to get the bartender's attention. Not even a minute later, three shots and three beers appeared magically in front of us.

Bella leaned down and nervously sniffed the shot. Her nose scrunched with obvious distaste for the brown liquid before her. It was maybe one of the cutest things I had ever seen in my entire life. She kind of looked like my old dog, Bailey (yes, we named her after the liquor), who when she was a puppy was spoiled rotten by me—it's not my fault she was just so damn cute. This was the face she made when she went to her bowl expecting steak, but found kibble instead.

Dude, NEVER tell that anecdote to Bella. You just compared her to a dog.

Yeah, but a really cute dog. Also, she's only girl I've never cheated on.

Wow.

Yeah, ok, I'm stopping.

I paused and sniffed the liquor in front of me and turned to Emmett with wide eyes. He just smirked in return.

"Jaeger bombs, Em. Really?" I whined. Jaeger nights ALWAYS led to something bad. Always. Without fail. I think it was a jaeger night when I cheated on Tanya, and I'm positive it was a jaeger night when the shower sex incident occurred. Fucking Emmett.

Ignoring my wide-eyed pleas, Emmett turned to Bella to explain how to take the shot.

"So, what you've got to do is drop the shot into the beer and then chug it as fast as you can. It tastes really good, I promise," he winked at her. Bella just rolled her eyes and nodded tentatively. That's my girl. "All right. See you at the bottom! On the count of three, bitches. One…two…three!"

We all dropped the shot into the beer and raced to the finish. Of course, Emmett finished first, but I took it slow and let Bella finish second. She looked at me with disbelief.

"I'm taking it slow tonight. Remember how you said that tequila makes your clothes fall off?" She blushed. So fucking adorable. "Well, jaeger tends to have a similar effect on me. Which Emmett is FULLY aware of…" I growled.

"Take it easy, there, champ," Emmett said as he wrapped his arm around my shoulders in a brotherly embrace. Jesus, our bromance was just disgusting. "One jaeger bomb is not going to get you plastered. Bad things don't start happening until at least after the third one," he joked.

I grinned back. Emmett may be annoying as hell sometimes, but he was my brother and God damn it, he was one of my best friends.

"So, where's Rosalie tonight?" I questioned, awkwardly pulling out of his embrace. The blonde bombshell would have been creating quite a spectacle if she had been in the club. No spectacle I assumed meant no Rosalie.

Emmett groaned loudly. "Ugh, she couldn't get out of work tonight. Some dickwad is paying her time and a half to fix up some classic 1966 Dodge Charger. Ha, what kind of tool fixes up a car like that?"

I raised my eyebrow at Emmett knowingly.

"Besides Vin Diesel in The Fast & The Furious, of course. But that was for street racing. I don't think this bitch is going to be trucking loads of cocaine to Mexico, or whatever that bullshit in the last movie was."

God, those movies were terrible, but Emmett loved them. He made me see the last one three times before I finally laid down the law. I don't care how hot Jordana Brewster is…no one needs to see that movie three times. Stopping the line of conversation, I ordered us two beers, which we got back from the smoking hot bartender in less than a minute. I can't help it if girls swoon at me feet, right? I raised my beer and clinked with Emmett.

"Hey, bro, I meant to tell you – since Rosie couldn't make it tonight, I'm heading over her apartment tonight. We still have about 14 surfaces to christen, and I plan on making it a very thorough night," Emmett snickered.

"Thanks, but I think I'm going home alone tonight."

"What? Why? There are about 20 girls just dying to come over here…hey, where'd Bella go?"

I looked up and realized that I'd lost track of Bella after our first shot. She could be anywhere now….with anyone! What the hell?

Where the fuck is she?

Calm down, dude…Emmett can NOT notice this kind of Bella obsessed behavior.

Search on the DL, buddy.

Oh, shit.

Of course, it just had to be him…

I spotted Bella on the dance floor uncomfortably wrapped in one of my former fraternity brothers' arms. His hands were wandering dangerously low, and if I continued to stare at them any longer, I was going to have an aneurism.

Suddenly, without warning, my feet were pushing me towards their dark corner of the dance floor. I knew his methods; he would grope her until Bella was pushed up against that far wall. And I would absolutely not stand for that. She was already starting to look a little panicked each time his hands would go further down her hips. Just as a saw him try and lift the hem of her shirt, I took Bella's hand and twirled her towards me.

She looked up at me with grateful eyes (well, at least I'm choosing to believe they were grateful), and gripped my hand tightly. I squeezed her hand back in return, hoping it was delivering some form of comfort (it was comforting me, anyway).

"James," I said briskly.

"Edward."

"Sorry, but I need to borrow Bella—Emmett and I are having a band crisis. Later, douche."

Did that just happen? What in god's name am I doing? We just agreed that we were friends. It's been barely an hour, and I'm already going caveman on her ass.

Jealousy, you are a wicked friend.

I pulled Bella towards the bar, only to see Emmett heading out the door. Well, great. I guess it was up to me to take CinderBella home from the ball.

"Sorry," she whispered.

Wait, what? Why is she apologizing? Does she think she did something wrong?

Cullen—fix this! Why are you completely incapable of doing anything right?

Too many questions.

"Bella, why are you sorry? I'm sorry. It's just that James and I don't really get along, and I thought you looked uncomfortable, so I…god, I'm an idiot. It's totally fine if you want to go back and dance with him. Shit. Fuck. Sorry. Apparently I have a newly found case of turrets. Wow, and now I'm just rambling—I'm not like this ever."

I'm pretty sure I could feel my brain turning to mush. I was so afraid to look at her. She had to know by now how much I wanted her. And now I was positive it was more than just lusting after her hot, hot body (although I definitely wanted a piece of that, too). I was most definitely in love with Bella Swan. My little cock-tease temptress, who had no idea of the hold she had on me.

When I looked up she was just laughing. Laughing! I had just verbally vomited, and she was laughing at me. God, she's adorable when she laughs. Her whole head tilts back, and she snorts just a little bit.

Cullen, you are a sad, sad man. You think her snorting is attractive.

"It's ok," she said putting a hand on my chest, reigniting my lust for her. Body contact is SO not allowed if we're going to play the friend game. "Do you think you could take me home, though? I was looking for Alice, but I think she might already be at home."

"Of course, friend. I'd be more than happy to take you home."

The drive to her apartment was far too quick, and I wanted to drag out this evening as long as possible. I pulled into a parking spot and parked. She looked at me quizzically.

"What? Can't I be a good friend and walk you to your door?" I said as I helped her out of the car. She mumbled something, but I wasn't paying attention because her hand slid down my forearm leaving a burning trail, which stopped in my hand. As we walked, she kept her eyes on the ground, but I knew she was blushing. Holding hands with me made my girl blush.

Victory!

She fumbled with her keys and pushed her way into the dark apartment. Flicking on the lights in the hall we were accosted with a sight I hoped to God I wouldn't have to witness again.

Seriously? Because once wasn't enough to make my brain melt into goo.

Sprawled out on the couch, an underwear clad Alice was straddling a shirtless Jasper as she licked up his chest. Shudder. Although, at least they weren't mid-fuck like the last time I walked in on them. That was awkward, needless to say. It's one thing to know that your sister and best friend harbor some sort of secret feelings for one another…it's a whole other thing to witness legitimate penetration. I mean, she's my sister for God's sake!

"Oh my god, I'm so sorry!" Bella clamored as Alice and Jasper disentangled themselves from one another.

"Well, at least I know where Jasper went…" I chuckled. Jasper did a mock salute to me, and I just rolled my eyes. Out of nowhere, a pillow flew at my head. "Bella, would you like to stay at my apartment tonight? Emmett's not going to be there, so there's an extra bed."

Well, that just flew out of my mouth with no provocation. Uh oh. That's incredibly forward. You're going to scare her away, dumbass!

Making eye contact with an incredibly flustered Bella, I knew that I had done the right thing. We were definitely going to have to work on loosening Bella up. With friends like me and Emmett alone, there was bound to be a ton of obscenity and vulgar comments. Especially now that we were surrounded by two couples.

Shit, son. Two couples…Alice and Jasper are going to have to come out of the closet they've clearly been fucking in, and Rosalie was finally here with Emmett. And I'd apparently decided to forgo all girls apart from Bella, who was relegated to the friend zone. Abso-fucking-lutely marvelous. At least I didn't have to worry about Bella being into Jasper anymore.

Small victory, but I'll take it.

"Let me just get some stuff, and I'll be on my way," Bella responded quickly, eyes still downcast, as she shuffled into her room.

"So, how long have you two been fucking?" I asked flat out. No use denying it now.

"About a year," Jasper responded coolly.

Come again? What the fuck? Seriously? If I had been drinking something, I would have for sure choked. A year? Where have I been?

Oh, that's right—you've been fucking anything that moves with a vagina, douche. You're so involved with your own girl drama that you didn't even notice two of the most important people in your life were seeing each other.

PS-In case you've already forgotten, you just invited the girl you want to bang, but aren't allowed to over to your very empty apartment. Good deal, son. Way to cut back on the girl drama.

Well, if Jasper's allowed to secretly date my sister, shouldn't I be able to secretly date Bella? Oooo—I liked where that train of thought went. Secret rendezvous, mystery, intrigue. That could be hot.

I wouldn't bring that up yet. We'd try friends first. _Sure_, I tried to convince myself as she walked back out of the room. I turned to give Alice and Jasper a little wave and head not before flicking off the lights and snickering again.

**Chapter End Notes:**

**Haha…so, yeah…Bella's off to spend the night over at Edward's apartment with no Emmett in sight. Thoughts of how that's going to go down? I'd love to hear them!**


	8. Chapter 8

**AN: Wow--I am consistently blown away by all of your support, people :) Thanks to all the new readers, who left reviews for each chapter as they were reading them...it always makes my heart flutter when I see the amount of reviews going up!**

**Seriously, I'm convinced I have the funniest readers EVER (who apparently have ther minds in the gutter just as much as me!)**

**Okay, so...Edward has more to say...I hope you guys like it!**

EPOV (Continued)

Back in the car, Bella just looked at me and burst out laughing. Her laughter was infectious, and I couldn't help but join her. By the time we had finally regained some semblance of normalcy, about 10 minutes had already passed, and we both had tears streaming down our faces.

"So, I guess my mission to get Alice and Jasper together is kind of moot now, huh?" Bella giggled.

I was about to answer her when I heard the opening bars of a vaguely familiar song playing somewhere from the depths of Bella's bag. She flushed and hurried to pick up the phone before I could recognize the song, but it was too late.

_You're my sunshine after the rain_

_You're the cure against my fear and my pain_

_Cause I'm losing my mind when you're not around _

_It's all, it's all, it's all because of you…_

"Is that 98 Degrees?" I began to ask, but she put her hand out in front of my lips "shushing" me. She flipped open the phone quickly (thank God, because I don't think I could listen to another chorus of that inane 90s pop music any longer).

"Hey Jake," she cooed. "I was just thinking about you." It was kind of painful to watch her eyes light up so brightly and listen to her jovial tone as she droned on about our gig, so I focused completely on driving.

Don't eavesdrop! Pay attention to the road, fool. She may be talking to Jake, but she's going home with you.

Ego: deflate. She's only going home with you because she doesn't want to listen to Jasper and Alice have sex tonight.

I couldn't help but be curious about Jake, though. How is it even remotely possible to be in a relationship with Bella Swan and then just magically reduce yourself to the "friend zone?"

Dumbass—didn't you essentially just do the very same thing today?

"Absolutely! Oh my god, Jake, you have to come visit!" …ok, now she had my undivided attention. As if she could feel my eyes on her, she looked up at me through her lashes. I don't know what she saw in my eyes, but I was trying to not convey every ounce of confusion, lust, jealousy, and friendship coursing through my body at that particular moment. She looked guilty in return. "Yeah, just let me know when your fall break is. Obviously, you're more than welcome to stay on my couch…"

We pulled into my parking spot, and I turned off the car. I sat and waited patiently as she wrapped up her phone call.

"Okay, Jake, I should actually get going…I'm in the car with my band mate, Edward…yup, he plays the guitar and sings the other lead." I don't know what Jake said on the other side, and God, how I wish I did. Bella blushed furiously and looked up at me shyly. All of a sudden her eyes got incredibly wide, and all of her attention snapped back to the phone.

"What?" she stuttered. "Jake, no. Stop, no! Ugh—let's talk about this later, please? …thank you. I love you, too. Good night."

Flustered, Bella reached towards the door pulling herself out of the car.

"Sorry about that. I'm not usually so rude."

"Don't worry about," I smirked, opening my front door for her. I would find out what she was blushing about later. That's how this whole friend deal works, right?

She looked around awkwardly, unsure of where to go.

Umm…maybe if you showed her the way, she wouldn't be so lost, tool.

"Right," I said, leading her down the hall to Emmett's room. "This is Emmett's room. Feel free to make yourself at home. Do you need something to eat…drink?"

"Uh, no, but I could use a shower?"

My dick went completely hard again at that thought.

Shit, son! Get yourself under control! You can't be touching yourself with her in the house—that's dirty…even for you.

"Yeah, yeah. Emmett's bathroom is attached to his room, so…just do what you need to," I said nervously. Okay—what now? "Goodnight, I guess."

"Thanks…goodnight," she called after me as I ran down the hall back to my room. Flopping down on my bed, I heard the shower starting to run.

Good God. Bella is currently naked in your apartment. And you are CLEARLY ready for her.

Trying to avoid my now almost painful erection, I rolled off the bed and changed into my pajamas. Only boxers. Rolling back onto the bed, I tried everything in my head to try and lower the flag, so to speak. But all I could do was listen to the shower and conjure images of a soapy, wet Bella, lathering herself…

Oh, God, this is painful. Do something, please!

As long as I was going to hell, I might as well do it thoroughly…

With that thought, I put my hand into my boxers and freed my cock. Stroking it very lightly, I continued to imagine Bella in the shower. Only, in this fantasy, I was there with her. I would take her small wrists in one hand and grasp them with one of mine, rendering her completely helpless. Pushing her towards the wall, I would admire the view from behind. Oh, and what a good view it was. I would wrap my hand around her front to gently tease her heaving breasts and slowly glide down her sides and stomach.

Just as I was getting to the best part, I exploded all over my stomach.

_Ugh, I forgot how completely gross the aftermath of this is_.

Just then, I heard a quiet knocking on the door.

No, you imagined it. No one is knocking on your door, Edward.

_Knock, knock._ "Edward?"

Shit, shit, shit! Clean this mess up! You have jizz all over your stomach, you sick fuck. I knew you shouldn't have done this with her in the apartment!

Grabbing a handful of tissues, wiping my stomach clean, I called out, "Yeah?"

"Um, can I come in?"

"Sure, give me one sec."

I hastily threw out all the tissues in the bathroom—that would have to do for now—and put a clean t-shirt on. Calming my post-orgasm breathing, I opened up my door. Seeing Bella freshly showered was almost as good as my shower fantasy. Her body was still damp, and her hair was pulled up into a messy bun, which revealed the nape of her neck that I loved so much. She was wearing an old white wife beater and grey sweatpants, but she was still the most gorgeous creature I had ever laid eyes on.

"What's up?" I stumbled, moving aside so she could walk into the room.

She hesitated at the door and looked intently at me.

_What was that look for? Does my room smell or something?_

"I was wondering if you had an extra blanket?"

I racked my brain to find the answer to her question, but if my mom had bought us an extra blanket, I had no clue where it was.

"Um, I'm sorry to disappoint, but I don't think we do…why? Are you cold? I could lend you a sweatshirt…"

"Actually…this is really embarrassing…I was getting into Emmett's bed, and…I found a used condom in there, so I was just going to sleep on the couch."

I grimaced. Emmett—that is completely disgusting. Who doesn't throw a used condom straight into the garbage? Clearly my idiot of a brother did not. I couldn't let her sleep on the couch, especially when she didn't have a blanket, so I did the only thing I could think of.

"Don't be stupid, Bella—you can sleep in my bed. I'll go to the couch."

Bella shook her head furiously. "I couldn't kick you out of your own bed…"

"Seriously, Bella—it's not an issue," I said, turning around to grab my pillow of my bed. I froze the instant she put her hand on my shoulder. It was the first contact we'd had since my jealous fit of rage at the bar, and it felt way too good.

"Edward, if you sleep on the couch, I will only be awake all night thinking about how bad I feel. Please, at least share the bed with me?"

I turned around, trying to deduce whether she was serious or not. Apparently she was completely serious. Did we not just establish that we were only going to be friends? And now she wants to tempt me with her body…in my bed…

Edward, you are a mature adult…you can handle this.

Fuck, who am I kidding? I am a very horny 23 year-old male, who wants to fuck this gorgeous creature senseless. This is a very, very bad idea.

"Are you sure?" Our eyes locked, and I could see her thought process clearly. I had never realized how easy her face was to read before. She, too, thought this was a bad idea. She hesitated for a few seconds before breaking out into the sweetest smile and nodding enthusiastically.

I pulled down my covers (which thankfully I had made earlier in the day), and we both climbed in, facing one another on our sides. I rolled over and turned the lights off, but my body naturally gravitated toward her. I couldn't have her in my bed and not look at her.

_Oh my god, Cullen. This is the first girl you've ever let into your bed…_

_Yeah, the others have never made it past the couch._

"Goodnight Edward," she whispered, turning to face the wall away from me.

"Night."

Wow. I don't think my heart had ever beat so loudly in my entire life. My palms were sweating, and I, Edward Cullen, was nervous. I had been in bed with many, many women, but I never brought one to my own bed. My bed was my own personal sanctuary. It was the one place not tainted by my bad decisions and jackass tendencies. And now, that was all going to shit.

This is absolutely ridiculous, you have no reason to be this nervous. You're just going to sleep.

Bella rolled over, facing me again, and my breath caught. She looked so peaceful in the pale light of the moon as it filtered through my window. I was not going to be able to sleep tonight for the life of me. I would stay awake as long as I could to enjoy the mere presence of Bella Swan.

"Edward," she whispered.

"Yeah?"

"I'm not tired anymore."

I chuckled. "Me neither."

She opened her eyes and looked surprised at how close I was to her face. I discreetly inhaled her scent, which made me smile. My bed was going to smell like Bella tomorrow, and I could not be happier. Just then, I had a thought. If Bella and I couldn't sleep, I was going to go crazy with anguish at not being able to touch her. I needed a distraction—and what was a better distraction then to jump head first into our newly founded friendship?

"Hey, Bella…can I ask you a question?"

She nodded sleepily.

"What's your favorite color?"

Her eyes widened in surprise before she replied "Green. What's yours?"

"Black."

"Black? …why?" she asked earnestly. I loved it—she was already getting into the game.

"It goes with everything. Also, I read an interview where Jim Morrisson said it was his favorite color, and I thought it was cool," I responded. She looked content with my answer and continued.

"So, you're a Doors fan? Oh, ok. Favorite band of all time?"

"Too many to choose from. If I had to choose an era of music, though, it'd be 60s British blues. It's honest, it's raw, and it's beautiful. What about you?" I said, honestly curious.

Even in the dark I could tell that she was blushing. She mumbled something, but I couldn't hear her.

"What was that?" I asked pointedly.

"I said my favorite band is Bon Jovi…" she whispered, hoping I wouldn't hear her again. I chuckled at that thought. Heavy metal 80s music wasn't my favorite by any means, but I would do just about anything to see 80s rock band Bella. "Stop laughing," she said as she pushed my shoulder.

"Ow, I wasn't laughing at your choice in band. I was just imaging you with teased hair and wearing acid wash jeans…hmm, we may have to add some 80s music to our set list, just so I can see that happen," I smiled. She rolled her eyes in response, which made me remember the question that I originally wanted to ask her.

"So," I continued, "what's up with the 98 degrees ringtone? Do you have a secret boy band fetish that I should know about?" I laughed. She punched my shoulder harder in response attempting to look angry. Instead she just ended up looking like a disgruntled kitten.

"It's kind of a long story," she explained.

"Um, I'm not going anywhere…"

"Okay, well, when my mom left my dad, I wasn't in the best place. I was only in fifth grade, and I thought that it as my fault she was leaving. Anyway, Jake was the only thing that kept me going. That song was really popular in 1998, which was the year my mom left, and so I called him my sunshine after the rain. When we got cell phones, he programmed that song as his ringtone, and despite it being incredibly embarrassing to have that ring go off in public, it never fails to make me smile."

Her face lit up with excitement as she spoke, and I couldn't have been happier to have her in my bed than at that moment. Everything about me was changing, and I was helpless to stop it. I wanted to know everything about her; I really cared about someone other than myself for the first time in my life. My mom is going to be so proud of me. It's not that I wasn't a good friend because I'd like to think that I was. It's just that with the exception of Jasper, my best friends were Alice and Emmett, and no one was brave enough to encroach on our private circle. Bella, however, was something completely different. I wanted her to fit in; I was going to make her fit in.

Our conversation flowed easily from there. I asked her trivial things such as her favorite subject in high school (English) or her dream vacation spot (Tahiti) as well as deep, important questions like where was her mom now (Florida, remarried to a baseball player) and when did her father die (junior year of college only three weeks after Jake broke up with her, ouch). I learned all about her break up with Jake and how hard it was to maintain I relationship with someone in high school while she was in college. Yeah, I learned that Jake is two years younger than me. Ha! So, if push came to shove, I was pretty sure I could take him. And I learned that Jake was a dick because when he became a freshman, he decided that they should stop seeing each other so he could fuck other girls. I mean, I'm sure he didn't say those words per se, but that's pretty much what Bella got from it.

What an idiot! Why in the world are they still best friends? Is she still into him?

Stop. Stop right now, Edward. Focus.

Ok—focusing now.

I wasn't afraid to let her know the real me either. She learned that she was the first girl to sit on my bed, much less sleep in it, besides Alice, which she blushed at (of course). She learned that I lost my virginity as a freshman in college to a rather experienced sorority girl, who acted as a mentor of sorts into my sexcapades. I tried not to go to explicitly into my sexual past (I mean, it's pretty vast and we could have been there for quite some time), but I told her nothing but the truth. I told her embarrassing stories about Jasper and me when we were little. I also told her that I was helping Alice find her birth parents—something that I hadn't even told Emmett or Jasper.

Around 4:00AM, I heard Bella's steady breathing, confirming that she had finally slipped into sleep, so it startled me when I heard her whisper, "Edward."

Curious, I looked over at her still form and even breathing. She was definitely still asleep.

_She said your name in her sleep._

Like "The Grinch" my small heart grew three sizes that day.

Satisfied, I smiled at the thought of Bella dreaming about me and was finally overtaken by a peaceful slumber.

**Chapter End Notes:**

**Yay...aww, Edward...getting all attached and in love...Next up, Bella's POV finally reappears!**

**You know what to do kids--make my grinch-like heart grow three sizes and leave me some love, please :)**


	9. Chapter 9

**AN: Ahhh--I have the best readers EVER :) Like Edward and the grinch, my heart also grows with all the love you guys are leaving!**

**Extra special thanks to Cullenista and Edward The Dark Angel for adding me to their respective communities. **

**Sorry I missed updating yesterday…I was road-tripping to Phoenix with my roommate. One of my friends was like, "What's in Phoenix…Renee?" and when I responded sarcastically with, "You think I would drive all the way to Phoenix for a fictional character?" she just stared at me…like, of COURSE that's something that I would do, haha.**

**Now, without further adue, here's some Bella for you (it's a bit longer than usual...my girl had a LOT to say!)**

BPOV

I woke up to the most beautiful emerald eyes gazing into mine. It seemed that his eyes could see into my soul, beckoning me closer with each blink. He looked down suddenly, embarrassed at being caught staring, and I couldn't help but giggle softly. Peering through his dark fringe of lashes, he looked back up at me. His arm ghosted up my sides, pulling me closer to him. I nuzzled my head into his neck and breathed in his heady scent. His hand remained on my back, making small electric circles with every touch. Motivated by the fire burning up my back, I leaned into his shoulder and kissed it softly. A quiet moan escaped his lips…I had never been so turned on in my entire life. Unable to control my actions, my kiss turned more urgent. As his moans got louder, I got braver, and licked all the way up his neck. It was complete sensory overload; I don't think I've ever been so overwhelmed. The touching, the smelling, the tasting.

"Mm, you taste so good," I whispered. He groaned in frustration.

"Bella, don't tempt me." Just then, I pulled his mouth to mine in a ferocious kiss. Pulling back, his eyes locked onto mine as he slid down my legs, pulling my panties with him. Starting at my ankles, he placed hot, wet kisses all the way up my legs, stopping just short of where I was currently throbbing for him. I sighed as he repeated the same pattern on my opposite leg. Just as I thought I was spontaneously going to combust from how much he was torturing me, Edward flicked his tongue out and ran it up my extremely wet slit. He licked his lips and smirked my favorite half grin.

"I don't taste nearly as good as you do."

"Ugh, Edward!" I moaned. As he continued his ministrations, I thrashed my arms and legs in ecstasy. I was moving so much that Edward had to pin my hips down to the mattress with yet another smirk.

"Behave, Bella," he warned, pulling his head from between my thighs.

"No, don't stop!"

"Bella, mmm…Bella…."

Hmm, that was weird. I didn't even make it to my climax. I usually at least get off in my dream before I wake up. The dream felt so real, I could even smell Edward around me. I smiled and rolled over, breathing in the mouthwatering scent only to collide with the sex God of my dreams, who was currently sporting sexiest smirk I'd ever seen.

"Bella? Um, are you awake for real now...Bella?" Edward asked nervously.

My name from his lips pulled me back into reality, where I awoke with a start.

Wait—what? Oh my God. I was in Edward's bed. This vision was REAL. Last night came rushing back through my memory with flashes of the most amazing conversation of my entire life. I cleared my throat, trying my hardest to avoid disgusting him with my morning breath.

That was without a doubt the best dream of my entire life. It felt so real; I don't think anything has ever felt better. Not even that night where Jake and I tried to go "shot for shot" with orgasms (we made it all the way up to 6 and then were pleasantly exhausted for the rest of the week). No, this dream was better than any of that.

"Yeah, I'm awake. What time is it?"

"8:30," he responded coolly.

"8:30 on Saturday morning? And you woke me up…why?"

Edward blushed, which was the first time I'd ever seen that happen. It was pretty adorable. He sort of tucked his chin towards his chest and shrugged his shoulders, as if trying to hide his body away from anyone watching.

"Well, uh…it's just that…did you know that you talk in your sleep?"

Yeah, I did know that. Jake had told me on multiple occasions the weird things that I had said during my sleep. Most of the comments consisted of either panicking about grades or moaning about Jake (well, that's what he said…I don't actually know if that was true). But, wait. Does this mean that he heard something I said? Did I completely give myself away? Wow, what a great way to start a friendship.

Like, PS, don't worry about it or anything, but I was dreaming about you going down on me and it was AWESOME! But, let's just be friends, okay?

Yeah, that'd go over well. Looking back at him, I realized that he was probably expecting an answer.

"Yes, I've been known to say a few crazy things in my sleep. Did I say anything completely embarrassing?"

"Uh…well…you kind of said 'taste me' and 'no, don't stop' and you may or may not have been moaning," he confessed uncomfortably.

Oh, shit. Please, please, please tell me that I didn't say his name. God, if you do one thing for me in my life, this would be it.

"Is that it?"

"Yeah, pretty much…so, what were you dreaming about?" he asked, raising one eyebrow.

It was then that I noticed his hair was wet.

"Hey, have you already showered?"

He looked uncomfortable again, but nodded yes. Weird. What is there to be uncomfortable about to admit you were in the shower in the morning? He didn't take one last night…Oh, but that means that he was naked and wet SO close to me, but I wasn't awake to enjoy it. Although, I was asleep to enjoy something else. I guess you win some, and you lose some.

"Are you always this much of a morning person?" I asked.

"No," he confessed, "but I thought we could go over the set list today and change some stuff up? You can tell me more about the songs that you want to sing, and then I thought we could work on harmonies so we can duet more…is that cool?"

I was blown away. Edward, who was such a jerk to me only four days ago was now being a complete sweetheart. Not only was he a sweetheart, but he was also a gentleman. I wish I could say the same of my own lascivious thoughts.

"That sounds great. Just show me where the coffee is, and we can get started."

"Coffee's on the counter. It automatically brews at 8:00, so it's still fresh," he said, pointing to his door.

With that, I threw the covers off my body, automatically shivering from the loss of warmth. Wrapping my arms around my braless chest, I padded out to the kitchen barefoot and poured myself a cup of coffee. I easily found the sugar and milk and took a large gulp. The coffee instantly perked me up, and I was overwhelmed by a feeling of appreciation and love for the man in the next room. Why did he have to be so completely wonderful?

I was still lost in my thoughts when I heard the front door slam. Emmett walked by me briskly, only briefly looking up and waving with a "Hey, Bella." I smiled and continued to sip my coffee. Then, like a magic thread pulled him back, Emmett backtracked to the kitchen and looked at me and then into Edward's room.

I'll be the first to admit it: the scene did not look so good. I mean, here I was in their kitchen in my pajamas at 8:30 in the morning, making myself a cup of coffee as Edward straightened out his sheets and made his bed.

Emmett is probably going to kill him, I thought.

And as if Emmett had read my mind, all of a sudden he barreled into Edward's room and into Edward, knocking them both to the ground. Emmett's fist made contact with Edward's face with a loud _thwack_, and I panicked. Putting my cup down onto the counter, I ran into Edward's room.

I blurted out the first thing I could think of to get Emmett to stop hurting Edward (and that beautiful face).

"Alice and Jasper have been sleeping together for a year!" I yelled.

Well, that certainly got Emmett's attention.

He looked up at me with confused eyes, pausing his Edward face bashing. His mouth opened and closed a few times, as if he were searching for the words to say, but nothing came to him. Seizing the opportunity, Edward pushed Emmett off of him (which was quite a feat of strength because Emmett looks like he weighs about 300 lbs).

"Emmett, it's not what you think," Edward said in haste. It was then that Emmett remembered why he was originally bashing Edward's face in and scowled again.

"Seriously, Emmett," I jumped in, "Edward offered me a place to sleep last night because Alice and Jasper were being kind of loud, and he was nice enough to know that would probably make me uncomfortable."

Emmett looked skeptical. Edward jumped in to save me, per usual.

"She was going to sleep in YOUR bed, until she found a used condom in your sheets. For real, man, who doesn't throw away a used condom?"

Emmett frowned as Edward pulled him off the ground. "You're a used condom," he huffed.

Edward smiled and retorted, "Your mom's a used condom." With that, the fight was over and both boys were smiling.

I would never understand boys for the life of me.

"So, Alice and Jasper, huh? How'd they pull that one over us? For a year? I'm going to need a word with Jasper about that," Emmett said crossing his arms.

"Yeah, it was horrible. They were all naked and—"

"Edward, I really don't need a recap," Emmett huffed. Both boys shuddered in silence and finally made eye contact. "Sorry about the eye, bro," Emmett continued.

Edward shrugged and placed his hand on the small of my back leading me back out to the kitchen. I picked up my cup of coffee and observed the brothers in their comfortable friendship. I had always wanted siblings. It was nice to have someone knock out their own brother to "protect my virtue," despite the fact that I really didn't want it protected. I smiled, realizing that I was now gaining a big brother in Emmett

"Hells Bells, what could you possibly be smiling about this early in the morning?" Emmett asked.

"I was just thinking how nice it is to have a big brother like you," I said, reaching up to kiss Emmett's dimpled cheek.

"Aww shucks, Bella," Emmett chuckled sarcastically.

"Hey…what about me?" Edward whined.

I walked over and kissed Edward's cheek and leaned in to whisper in his ear, "If I thought about you like a brother, my dream last night would definitely be illegal."

Edward's mouth dropped open into a small 'o', and he kind of looked like a lost fish. Poor little, Nemo.

"All right, Edward, let's get started on that set list. I don't have all day," I smiled, flopping down on the couch.

He ran into his room to grab his computer (which just happened to be the gorgeous MacBook I had been lusting after for the past three months), and flopped down onto the couch next to me. Browsing through his iTunes, I discovered how eclectic Edward's music taste was and how much fun we were going to have learning new songs.

I looked up at him curiously. "Do you have any songs currently on the set list that you're absolutely unwilling to part with?" I asked.

He thought about it for a second and then opened up a blank work document. He typed out "SET LIST" in all caps, and then wrote a few of the songs from their old list down:

The Darkness – I Believe In A Thing Called Love

JET – Are You Going To Be My Girl

Franz Ferdinand – Take Me Out

Kings of Leon – Sex On Fire

Katy Perry – I Kissed A Girl

I smirked at that one, which Edward noticed and smirked back.

Tyler Hilton – Missing You

He stopped typing and looked at me.

"Anything you can't part with?" he asked.

"No," I replied honestly. "So, that's only 6 songs…we have 8 more to come up with. What were you thinking?"

Edward and I soon became engrossed in listening to his iTunes. We even hooked up my ipod to his computer to start browsing through my music, too. It was the most fun I'd had since…well, the night before.

"So, wait—what was that song you sang at your audition? Gavin Degraw, right?"

"Yeah," I said, surprised he remembered anything about the audition. I thought he hated me so intensely then, it was weird to know now that he only hated me for wanting me so much. Weird, but definitely smile and butterfly inducing.

"You should add that one to the set. It should be your solo," he said confidently.

"I don't need a solo, Edward," I replied.

"Don't be absurd, Bella…you definitely do," he smiled.

We listened to both Gavin Degraw albums. Edward listened with extra interest, as if it were truly important. I loved broadening his musical repertoire…it made me feel important, and I liked that feeling. Every time he liked a song, he got this serene look on his face, like every worry in the world at that moment could be eased with a few chords.

"That one," Edward exclaimed. "We need to add that one to the set. What's it called?"

"Running Away by Hoobastank."

"That could have some killer harmonies," he said, his smile lighting up his eyes, "and I think we sound better together."

It was true. It seemed like everything Edward and I did together just worked well. We had slipped into this easy friendship, confiding in one another with complete trust. Of course, it was hard to ignore the dull ache of longing I felt every time his arm brushed up against my knee, or his emerald eyes would sparkle with delight at something I said. He almost made me feel loved. Maybe being friends with Edward wouldn't be so bad after all.

After only a few hours, we had a completely revamped set. It was now a fusion of my love for 80s rock (yes, there was a Joan Jett and a Blondie song for me) and Edward's love for classic and acoustic rock.

After Edward dropped me back off at my apartment, I was at a loss as to what I should do with the rest of my day. All I wanted to do was tell more stories with Edward, giggling about something completely ridiculous.

Walking into the apartment, I was accosted by an energetic Alice.

"Bella, I am SO sorry. Will you ever forgive me? I promise that will never happen again. Jasper and I just figured that you guys would be at the bar for a few more hours, and it's so hard to find alone time. If I had known that you were coming back that early, I would have never done that! I hope you know that I would never put you in any kind of position like that. Please say that we can still be friends," Alice said in one breath.

Man, that girl could talk. I smiled and put my arms around her. She looked so worried. And really, could I blame her? If Jasper were even remotely interested in me, I'm sure we would have been having sex on a couch somewhere last year.

"Of course, Alice. No hard feelings as long as you promise to keep the rest of your sexcapades within the confines of your room, please."

Alice squealed with glee and hugged me back so tightly that I was sure my oxygen supply was being cut off. She stepped back and cocked her head slightly to the side. Edward did the same thing when he was thinking, and I wondered who had gotten the trait from whom.

"It's nearly 3:00," Alice stated.

"Yes?" I said, confused.

"Did Edward just drop you off?"

"Yes…" I said again, unsure of where her line of questioning was headed.

"Edward texted me at 8:00 this morning. What have you been doing for the past," she looked at her watch, "seven hours?"

"Well, Edward didn't wake me up until 8:30, so it's only been six and a half hours, Alice…"

"Edward woke you up at 8:30 on a Saturday morning?" Alice gasped. "That's appalling!"

"It's not really his fault," I replied. "I talk in my sleep, and he thought that I was awake before I actually woke up, so…"

Alice looked perplexed. "Do you scream in your sleep?" she asked.

"No…" That would be weird. Why in the world would she ask that?

"So, how did he know that you talk in your sleep, and why would he think you were awake?" Alice paused for a second and then screamed, "Jesus titty fucking Christ, Bella! Did you sleep in his bed?"

I could feel the heat rising to my cheeks, but I rolled my eyes for dramatic effect, placing the carefully laid mask of indifference back over my features.

"It's not like that, Alice. I was supposed to sleep in Emmett's bed, but I found a used condom in the sheets—"

"Eew," she interrupted.

"Exactly! So, I was going to sleep on the couch, but Edward was a complete gentleman and offered me his bed. He was going to take the couch, but I just felt bad kicking him out, so I said that we were both mature adults and could sleep in the same bed together."

Alice had this mischievous twinkle in her eye as she pressed me for more information.

"So, then what happened?"

"What do you mean what happened, Alice? We slept."

"Bella, darling, I know my brother better than he knows himself, and you're honestly standing in this apartment telling me that you just hopped into his bed and went straight to sleep?"

"Well, we talked for a while first," I replied honestly.

"Talked?" Alice scoffed suspiciously.

"Yes, Alice…we talked!" I was starting to get annoyed and wished that Edward were here to back me up. I mean, I know that Edward is slutty, but Alice had to know that I wouldn't just jump into bed with a guy that soon. I mean, we had just talked the other night about how I had only sex with one guy, who I was in a serious relationship with for almost five years.

"What'd you talk about?" Alice's face had softened, and I realized that she was genuinely curious as to what Edward and I would talk about. She was the closest girl to him, and it was becoming evident that she just wanted to know more about him.

"Well, we talked about everything really."

"Too generic, Bella. Let's sit…I want details!" Alice chirped, back in high spirits.

"I found out that his favorite color is black and that he loves classic rock. I learned a few hilarious anecdotes about Emmett, more specifically his fear of high heels after his first girlfriend accidentally stabbed him in the shin with hers. I know that I'm the first girl besides you to ever sit in Edward's bed, much less sleep in it…and I learned that he's helping you find your birth parents," I said, satisfied that I proved that Edward and I had actually talked rather than messed around as Alice suspected.

I looked up to find tears streaming down Alice's cheeks.

"Oh my God, Alice. What? Did I say something wrong?" I asked.

Alice wiped away her tears, shook her head, and smiled broadly. "No, Bella. You said absolutely nothing wrong," she wrapped her arms around me again, and whispered, "I'm so glad he has you."

Her comment warmed my heart so much, that I somehow agreed to go shopping for more band clothes with her for the rest of the afternoon.

Five hours and some sore feet later, I had three new pairs of jeans, ten new tops, three skirts, five dresses, and accessories galore. I tried to insist that I didn't need all of it, but Alice was on some sort of "Edward/Bella friendship" high and paid for it all, insisting that it was Dr. Cullen's treat (apparently their father was a prestigious doctor in Chicago).

Exhausted, I took of my shoes and stretched out on my bed. 9:00 may have been early to go to bed on a Saturday night, but I felt like I had been through the wringer. I wondered where Edward was right now…probably doing something a whole lot more interesting than staring at a ceiling. My stomach churned at the thought that he could be with another girl at that moment.

Stop it, Bella. You agreed to be friends, and this is what you get.

I shook my head, clearing my head of those thoughts. Just then, my phone chirped. I groaned, knowing that I had failed to call Jake all day, and he was probably texting to check in.

I gasped when I saw it was a text from Edward.

**My bed misses you**

My heart sputtered uncontrollably and my breathing picked up. One simple text message, and I was already gone. How could he be so flirty yet innocent at the same time? I decided to call his bluff and responded.

**If you want me to come over, you're going to have to ask**.

Satisfied with my level of flirting, I pressed send. Almost instantly, my phone started ringing. Somehow Edward had programmed a ringtone for himself sometime over the course of the day because it now started ringing with Dionne Warwick's "That's What Friends Are For." Laughing, I flipped the phone open.

"When did you get your hands on my phone?" I laughed.

"You were in the bathroom," he said. I could almost hear the half smirk. He paused, and I heard him take a deep breath. "Bella, can you come back over tonight?"

I almost dropped the phone I was so shocked. I was sure he wasn't actually going to accept my text message for real.

"I…uh…" I stuttered.

Smooth, Bella.

"Please, Bella? My bed and I both miss you, and I already asked Emmett and he said it would be fine as long as we have the door open," he whined.

I giggled at that thought. "You asked Emmett if I could come over for a sleepover?"

"Of course," he huffed. "I like my face the way it is, thank you very much….so, you'll come then?"

He sounded so hopeful, and who was I to deny him of my presence if that's what he desired? I would honestly give him the world if I could.

"Be there in 10," I said.

When I got to Edward's, Emmett answered the door and led me to Edward's room, purposely pushing the door further open. Inside the room, Edward was sitting cross-legged on his bed, waiting with such anticipation. He looked like a little boy; it was truly endearing. His whole face lit up when he saw me, and I couldn't help but smile back at him and jump on the bed to greet him. Emmett raised one eyebrow, and pushed the door open as far as it would go.

"I'm sleeping on the couch tonight…so I'll know if anything happens," Emmett threatened Edward.

I ran up to Emmett, hugging him tightly and leaned up to whisper in his ear, "Brothers, Emmett…remember?" He smiled warmly in return, and walked into his bedroom, rather than the living room.

Okay, so it was kind of a lie, but I could honestly promise Emmett that nothing was going to happen between Edward and me.

I shoved my shoes off and hopped back into bed with Edward, who was already lying down.

"Is this really how you want to spend your Saturday night, Edward?" I asked skeptically.

"This is how I want to spend every night, Bella," Edward yawned, pulling me towards him. My whole body flushed at that thought. Every night with Edward would not be bad. Well, maybe it'd be bad for my poor confused brain, but…it definitely felt right.

Edward turned off the light and then nestled into the bed behind me, draping one arm over my side.

"Night, Bella," he whispered.

Smiling for the second night in a row, I felt completely at ease as I drifted off into my wonderful world of dream Edward.

**Chapter End Notes:**

**Sorry about the dream, but...I needed SOME sort of lemon in this chapter. Don't worry...real lemons are a-coming :)**

**Let me know if you want more, and leave some love!**


	10. Chapter 10

**AN: Ok, so this chapter was over 20 pages, so I split it up into two parts...this is part one :)**

**Thank you to everyone who left a review for the last chapter—I had to turn my blackberry to silent last night because all the emails I was getting about people favoriting, alerting, and reviewing were blowing up my phone…so, MANY MANY thanks!**

BPOV

I counted my steps on the concrete as I went for my daily morning run, trying in vain to get a particular number out of my head.

24.

.

24.

.

24.

It had been 24 days since I last slept alone. 24 glorious nights of sharing a bed with the most incredible, talented, and sexy musician I know.

I could still scarcely believe how fast Edward and I had become inseparable. It seemed like after that first afternoon apart, we could not stand to be apart again. I had never become best friends with someone over night, but it seemed to happen that way for Edward and me. It was absolutely bizarre, but I wasn't going to question it. I knew that I could tell him anything (I mean, let's be honest—five days ago, I moved my tampons into his bathroom cabinet, and he still hasn't mentioned anything), and he would tell me anything—well, of course with the exception of the extreme sexual tension we felt every moment we touched or locked eyes—no, we never acknowledged that (heaven forbid, right?).

We developed an incredibly unhealthy habit of constant companionship. I mean, not that I was complaining by any means—I love spending time with Edward probably more than anything else (well, with the exception of performing, but I got to do that with Edward, too, so there…).

Although our days varied with the addition of gigs and practices (we performed at the bar on Monday, Tuesday, and Friday and had practice on Wednesday, Thursday, and Sunday), we'd developed a structured daily routine. Our days would go as such:

Wake up next to the most delicious piece of man I have ever seen…

Go for a half an hour run down the street in order to attempt to work off all pent up sexual frustration

Shower (and if the run couldn't cut it…some ialone/i time)

Breakfast (made courtesy of either Edward or Emmett)

Lounge around and be ridiculous

Practice or get ready for gig and gig

Drink and socialize with the rest of my friends (I was really loving Rosalie more and more each day…and the more time I spent with Emmett, the more respect I had for her—seriously, she's a saint)

Pillow talk :)

Back to bed at Edward's.

The reworking of the set meant hours of extra practice time, which left little time for anyone but the band (and their significant others, of course).

Yup. Such was my life, and I absolutely loved it.

Ever since Alice and Jasper had come out of the "closet they'd been fucking in" as Edward so kindly referred to it, it was pretty terrible at my apartment. Who knew that a little girl like Alice could scream so loud? Man, does that girl have a set of lungs on her. And Alice, being Alice, preferred to be at our apartment because that's where all her "stuff" was. Seriously.

I pretty much lived with Emmett and Edward now. Emmett no longer slept on the couch because some how Edward and I had convinced him that I was just as much of a sister to Edward as Alice was. He figured that now that Alice was…otherwise occupied…Edward needed me to fill that "sisterly" role. Ha! If only he knew the lascivious dreams I had while sleeping in bed next to Edward—they were NOT sisterly, to say the least. Anyway, living with them wasn't bad at all; I actually had grown so much closer to Emmett over the past few weeks.

Especially on day 13. …oh, day 13.

_**FLASHBACK**_

_I was exhausted from my latest run, and I was still sweating as I approached Edward's room._

"_Bella!" I heard Edward shouting to me from the shower with the water still running. That was odd…_

_I opened the door a crack, going against my urge to swing the door open fully, to see what Edward wanted. "Yeah?"_

"_Oh, good, you're back! Can you grab some shampoo from Emmett? We already ran out and my hair REALLY needs to be washed today."_

_I laughed, knowing that he was probably only washing his hair because I told him he was starting to look more like a homeless person than an edgy and cool rock star._

"_Sure," I hollered, "I'll be back in one second."_

_I walked down the hall and opened Emmett's bedroom door without even thinking. This was clearly a mistake because after opening the door, I was accosted by the sight of a completely naked Emmett getting ready to (I shudder to even think the word) penetrate an equally naked Rosalie. I paused for a second too long before slamming the door shut and turned back to the hallway, breathing heavily. Emmett opened the door and stuck his head out._

"_Bella?" I spun around, completely embarrassed and probably as red as a tomato._

"_Oh my God, Emmett—I'm SO sorry. I thought you were at Rosalie's, otherwise I would have never…"_

"_It's okay," he chuckled. "Did you need something?" How did absolutely NOTHING faze Emmet? It was like he was incapable of being embarrassed._

"_Uh…yeah, um, shampoo?" I stuttered, realizing that Edward was still waiting for me._

_Emmett disappeared for one second and then threw some shampoo back out into the hall for me._

"_Please apologize to Rosalie for me, too, Em!" Emmett just rolled his eyes and flashed me his mega-watt smile and closed the door behind him. God, I was glad I was getting into the shower soon; it would drown out Emmett and Rosalie's noises…ew_.

I laughed again, realizing that I had seen so much more of both Emmett and Rosalie than I'd bargained for that morning. Oh, well…the hazards of living with brothers, I suppose.

Now that I was thinking about it, Edward had been nothing less than a gentleman for the past 24 days. It still baffled my mind. I had seen girls pining over him while he was on stage, and he never looked their way. Here I was, constantly in a state of arousal just being around him all the time with no means for release. Hell, I hadn't been touched in far too long. I was starting to crave the overwhelming sensations of strong male hands gripping my body, playing me like their favorite instrument…

Good God, Bella, stop it! This fantasizing about Edward is NOT helping the sexual tension level by any means.

Although, due to day 23 (yeah, yesterday morning), I knew without a doubt that Edward was definitely getting his release.

_**FLASHBACK**_

_I had started my run, per usual, but I was just too stressed out to really get into it. After only 10 minutes, I decided to head back to the apartment and relax in front of the TV instead of half-heartedly going through my run. Walking to the refrigerator for a bottle of water, I heard the familiar, "Bella!" coming from the bathroom._

_God, could that boy be more needy? …just kidding, it made my heart swell knowing that he needed me._

_I called out, "Be there in a second," hurriedly and dragged my feet to the bathroom door._

_Me, being me, of course, tripped over my dragging feet and accidentally pushed the door farther open than I had intended. I don't know what I was expecting to see, but it certainly was not what was going on in the bathroom._

_Edward, hand still stroking his dick, head thrown back, and eyed closed, came all over his hand and the shower floor._

_I knew it was wrong, but I could not tear my eyes away. I started to breathe heavier, blood flowing to all the right places, as my eyes raked his wet and naked body. The water poured over his head and onto his shoulders and chest, sliding down his defined abs and onto his hand, which was conveniently still wrapped around his VERY large cock._

_Oh, God! Would that EVER fit inside me? I mean…Jake wasn't bad sized, at all, but…whoa, there._

_Before the fantasizing about the size of his cock could continue, I came to a quick realization: he had called out my name as he was releasing. Did that mean what I thought it meant?_

_I closed the door quietly, before Edward could come to his bearings and catch me ogling his naked body_.

The counting of my steps was not doing what I needed it to. I needed to push thoughts of Edward and me out of my mind. He may have gotten off thinking about me, but we were best friends now—he would never act on it, right?

But, what if you admit to him that you loved him more than just a friend? Would he still fail to do something about it then?

My wondering wasn't getting me anywhere. On top of everything, tonight was going to be our first night sleeping apart in weeks. Edward was not pleased about it, but Jake had planned to drive four hours to Seattle for his fall break from University of Oregon, and I don't think he would be too pleased if I blew him off to go sleep over at Edward's. I constantly reminded Edward that Jake was my oldest friend, and that I needed to spend time with him when he came specifically to visit me.

Edward simply grumbled unhappily, "Is he friends like we're friends?" I don't think he meant for me to hear, but I couldn't help the implications of his statement. In fact, Jake was going to be a bigger problem than I had originally anticipated.

Jake had noticed that I had been particularly busy over the past month, obviously. He had been my best friend since before I can even remember, so naturally when I started missing our daily phone calls, he started suspecting something was up. I told him that I was simply just becoming close with my band mates. I'm pretty sure he bought it, however Jake's presence was going to be difficult with Edward in the picture now.

Yes, Jake and I broke up a little over two years ago. It was fine, actually. I loved him, but he wanted to be able to go to college and experience it without a long-distance girlfriend. I completely understood. That didn't exactly stop us from having some benefits on the side of our friendship, though. In fact, for the past two years I had been doing some extra-curricular activities with Jake for every break we saw each other. Tonight, though, I didn't know what I was going to do. I know that Edward and I weren't together, per se, but I couldn't help but feel like doing anything with Jake would be betraying him. However, I didn't think Jake would see it quite that way…

In fact, Jake had been hinting all week long about how excited he was to finally have me to himself for a weekend…and although we always flirted, he seemed a little more aggressive than usual.

Circling my way back to the apartment, I thought more about how to handle this particular situation. I wasn't coming up with anything. What I really needed was an outside opinion, but I couldn't ask Jake, and I certainly couldn't ask Edward what to do. Where are impartial friends when you need them?

The apartment smelled delicious as I opened the front door. Edward was standing at the stove making cheddar cheese omelets…my favorite. He turned around and flashed me a small smile, which didn't seem to reach his eyes.

"So, when does Jake get here?" he asked. Ah, so that's why the lack of enthusiasm.

"He'll be here by 3:00, but I gave him my home address, so I've got to head back there around 1:00 in case he's early. He drives like a maniac…kind of like you." I winked. Edward grimaced. He was already holding grudges against Jake, and he didn't even know him yet. Today was not going to end well. I could feel it. "Alright, I'm getting into the shower," I said. "Don't start eating without me, please! I'll be quick."

"But, they're ready now! If you shower first, they'll be cold, and not as good…and you know it."

It was true. I went straight for the omelet, which helped calm me down a little. Who knew that Edward could cook? I mean, of course he could—the boy was good at everything, apparently.

"How am I going to sleep without you tonight?" Edward whined. His lower lip stuck out ever so slightly when he pouted, and I just wanted to kiss the look right off of his face.

"You'll be fine, Edward. Hey—you could even bring a girl home tonight," I joked with a mini gasp. Edward looked appalled by my suggestion.

"What? Bring home a girl? I don't think so. I don't do that, remember?"

"I didn't say you had to bring her to your bed," I nudged.

Why was I doing this? Why was I pushing another girl onto Edward?

…maybe because if you know he's with another girl tonight it'll make you feel less guilty about being with Jake tonight…

"Uh, thanks, but no thanks. I'm done with the random sleeping around, thank you very much," he retorted adamantly.

"Sure you are." I rolled my eyes. Edward give up sleeping around? Who does he think he's fooling?

Well, Bella, since you've been with him nearly every second for the past month, you should know better than anyone that Edward HASN'T slept around recently.

Yeah, recently…

Ugh—you're hopeless.

Just then, my 98 Degrees phone ring pulled me out of my insecure self-bashing. Edward quirked an eyebrow at me, knowing that it was Jake on the phone.

"Hey, Jake, what's up?"

"Bells? Where are you?" he asked excitedly.

"Um, I'm home, Jake," I lied. He really didn't need to know that I had been sleeping at Edward's.

"No, you're not, Bells," he laughed. "I'm standing in the middle of your living room with your roommate Alice and her boyfriend, Jasper? And…they said you were out, so—when are you getting home, I miss my favorite girl…"

My face must have noticeably paled because suddenly Edward put his hand on mine and looked fairly concerned. "You're already here?" I squeaked, "but you weren't supposed to get here for another four hours, Jake!"

"Yeah, I know, but I couldn't sleep, so I just woke up and drove here. I thought I could surprise you. Now seriously, Orlando is still sitting in front of your apartment, so where are you? I'll come and get you"

"No, no, no!" I interjected. "I'll be home in 10 minutes, I'm already on my way. Sorry I wasn't there to greet you. Bye!" I looked up, and Edward was already grabbing his keys and heading out the door. I grabbed my purse and followed quickly.

Per usual, Edward drove like a maniac, and we were standing outside my apartment door in 7 minutes flat. I opened the door and was immediately lifted out of the Volvo and into Jake's warm embrace. I vaguely heard other sounds around me, but Jake was crushing me to his chest so tightly that all I could hear was the blood pounding in my ears. Suddenly, I felt wet, sloppy kisses being placed all over my face. I hated when Jake did that. I told him that it reminded me of being greeted by a dog, to which he simply laughed at.

I pushed at his chest. "Ugh, stop slobbering all over me, you dog!" I protested.

"Like you're one to complain. You smell, Bells." He wrinkled his nose in distaste. I shoved off of him completely.

"It's not my fault that you came early and interrupted my morning run!"

It was then that Jake's eyes finally took in my body in its current state. I'll admit, my running clothes were a bit revealing for me, but I always got too overheated in anything else. Now, I was standing in the cool October air in just a sports top and shorts. Just then, Edward cleared his throat loudly behind us.

Right, Edward is here. Shit. Motherfucking God damned shit.

"Sorry, Jake, this is my favorite band mate, Edward," I joked, smiling at him. He still looked tense. "Edward, this is my best childhood friend, Jake."

Both men looked at each other appraisingly. Taking them in side-by-side was incredibly weird. It was like watching Superman and Bizarro—the same person to me, but totally opposites in everything else. Jake towered over Edward. Then again, Jake towered over everyone. At age 16 he went through a huge growth spurt and didn't stop until he reached about 6' 7". Jake was incredibly tan with black cropped hair, the product of his Native American heritage and playing football for U of O (they made all of their players cut their hair). Edward looked positively ghostly white standing next to him, and his mop of bronze hair was in its natural state of disarray.

Jake was the first one to crack. He smiled slightly and stuck out his hand. Edward took it hesitantly, but then shook it firmly.

Oh, God, boys. Just take them out and measure already! This is ridiculous.

"Alright, now that we've had our introductions. How about we go inside and decide what we're going to do with the rest of our day?" I looked to Jake, who was still maintaining eye contact with Edward. "Jake?"

I walked into the apartment and realized that both boys were still glaring at one another. Oh, boy. This day was NOT going to go well, and it just began. Inside the apartment, Alice looked at me with that particular mischievous glint in her eye.

"Bella, why don't you get into the shower super quickly, and I'll entertain the boys. Oh, and by the way—I borrowed your shampoo, so if you wanted to shower in my bathroom that's fine!" Alice chirped.

Wow, leave it to Alice to diffuse an awkward situation. Of course I had to use her shower…all of my toiletries were still at Edward's. I had rushed out of there so quickly that I forgot that most of my life was still in his apartment!

I took the quickest shower I possibly could, not even bothering to dry my hair, and hurried back out to the living room. I caught eyes with Edward, who smiled my favorite smile in return. I had learned that Edward had a smile he reserved just for me, and I loved it. It made my body temperature rise a few degrees and my insides turn to jelly in the best way possible.

I walked to the couch to sit next to Jake, but apparently that wasn't close enough for Jake. Instead, he pulled me onto his lap and wrapped his arms around me. Nuzzling his nose into the crook of my neck, Jake inhaled deeply. "Mm, you smell much better now, Bells," he said lazily. He kissed my neck softly and ran his hand down my back.

Edward stiffened noticeably, and my favorite smile disappeared completely replaced by my least favorite Edward expression: the scowl. Normally Jake's actions would be more than welcome, and hell, we'd probably end rolling around in bed together for a few hours. However, today, I couldn't do it. I loved Edward, and Jake simply didn't feel right anymore.

_Jake is here to see you,_ I chanted to myself. _You've missed him, and he drove four hours to spend time with you._

"So, what should we do today?" I asked.

"Can't we stay here for a little bit?" Jake smirked with his puppy dog eyes.

"Jake!" I reprimanded. Please, because this day couldn't get any more awkward.

"What? It's been almost three months, and I've missed you," Jake said as he placed his other hand on my knee. I think he was trying to be subtle, but Jake and subtle just don't go together. I was wrong, this day COULD get more awkward.

Edward shot up out of his seat and yelled something about seeing us at practice later and then bolted out of the apartment. It was reminiscent of the first day we met when he bolted out of the audition, but I had a feeling that his thoughts were heading down a different path.

"What the hell is HIS problem?" Jake scoffed. Jasper rolled his eyes.

"Oh, that's just Edward. He PMSes with the best of them. Bella knows—the two of them have been nearly inseparable lately," Jasper laughed. Alice's eyes sparkled again, and I wondered what the hell she was planning for me. No good can come out of that look in Alice's eyes.

"Okay, come on," I said as I pulled Jake off the couch. "Let's show you Seattle, and then you can come watch my band practice. Bye, guys," I waved to Alice and Jasper. "See you at practice in a few!"

Jake and I hopped into Orlando as we embarked on our Seattle adventure. I could only hope that Jake's trip would take a positive turn in the very near future, otherwise the next three days were going to be painful.

**Chapter End Notes:**

**I love you guys SO much! Review, so I can put up part 2 of this terrible, horrible day soon :)**

**Reviews = Love, and i have lots to go around this week!!!!**


	11. Chapter 11

**AN: I think I love you kids too much...or I'm just too excited about your reactions to keep you guys waiting, haha.**

**Alright, here's part 2. Apologies in advance for the switching POVs, but Edward and Bella both wanted to say LOTS! I swear, they just wouldn't stop talking (hence, the extra length!)**

EPOV

What the fuck was that douche bag's problem? He's lucky that I left without ripping his arms off of his body for touching Bella.

Cullen, she doesn't belong to you…

Yeah, but she might as well! I haven't fucked anyone for the past month, and my dick is starting to really resent my hand.

To be honest, the past month had been heaven and hell wrapped up into one finite little package. Heaven because I spent every sleeping and most waking seconds with Bella…and hell, well, for the exact same reason. In fact, the most torturous of times were at night when Bella started sleep talking.

I still remember the first night we spent together clearly. A moaning and writhing Bella pulled me out of my contented slumber. Yeah, because having her in my arms all through out the night wasn't enough to ensure I had morning wood. No…Bella had to go and torture me with mumbling, "taste me" and "faster" interspersed with moaning. Like…really loud moaning. Not to brag, but my name MAY have come out of her mouth among the moaning. My ego inflated tenfold. …as did…something else. That was when I decided that my morning shower was now going to include a morning jerk-off.

In fact, if you discounted the extreme amount of sexual tension, Bella and I fit together easily, maybe too easily. It was as if we were two halves of the same person.

To be incredibly cheesy, we completed each other.

Seriously, Cullen—did you really just admit that to yourself?

Yes, please shut up. I'm basking in the glow of cheesiness. Now leave me alone.

Hmph.

She was there to get my ass in line (because let's be honest, I'm kind of a punk), and I was there to keep her motivated (I don't know how someone as talented as Bella can get so easily discouraged ALL the time).

But more than that, Bella showed me what I'd been missing. Up until Bella, the only girls in my life were Alice and my mom (yeah, I'm a momma's boy, so what?). It was nice to have a real friend for once. I mean, yes, Jasper is my best friend, but most of the time he was distracted by the mere presence of Alice and the other portion of that time he was just as much of an ass as I was.

Bella and I had even developed a daily routine…it was pretty sickening. I literally had to spend the half hour she spent running every morning wanking off in the shower just to be able to make it through the day without jumping her, though. If I weren't completely in love with her, I'd be completely disgusted with myself.

And now, here I am—jealous. Yeah, I'm not such an idiot that I couldn't recognize this feeling.

But that kid had his hands ALL over my Bella. And she wasn't pushing him away! I mean, I realize that they have been best friends since they were zygotes pretty much, and yes, they did date, but now it is clear that there was still stuff going on between them…and recently! All this past week, I couldn't shake the feeling that Bella was holding back information on Jake, but she kept insisting that they were "just friends." Friends, my ass. Anyone in that room who saw Jake's groping knows they are clearly more than friends.

And let's talk about that "kid" for a second. Gah. I was prepared for some measly 20 year old, not a tall, dark, and handsome line backer. Literally. The kid is a giant, and of course everything about him is my polar opposite. I felt like growling; I needed somewhere to exert the tension that had been building since I left her apartment.

Looks like the door was going to get it.

Slamming the door to the apartment, both Rosalie and Emmett looked up from the television.

"What's got your panties in a twist, Edward? Lack of ass finally getting to you?" Emmett joked.

"Shut up, Em," I growled as I stalked to the sink to clean the breakfast dishes that Bella and I had clumsily left in our hasty exit.

"Aww, are you pissed that Bella has her friend Jake here and isn't around to do our dishes?"

"She does your dishes?" Rosalie gaped. Emmett nodded enthusiastically.

"Yeah, but when she cooks, we do the dishes. It's fair." I retorted.

"Sometimes she vacuums, though," Emmett argued, "and she did our laundry once, too. But, I mean, we don't make her pay rent or anything, and she gets to escape the Alice/Jasper madness at her own apartment."

"I know that I've been busy with work, but is she really here that often that you would consider making her pay rent?" Rosalie asked incredulously.

"Oh yeah! I don't think she hasn't been here for a single night…right, Edward?"

"She stays with Edward?"

I was so caught up in my own anger against Jake that I barely heard Rosalie's comment, but it was enough to make the dish in my hand slip a little bit. I didn't turn around for fear that they would notice. I chanced a glance over my shoulder at Rosalie, who looked thoughtfully at me for a second too long, and I looked away, afraid that she could see right through the flimsy facade I had erected to shield my family of my feelings for Bella.

"Yeah, we wouldn't make her stay on the couch. Plus, it's nice having a little sister hang around since Alice is now…otherwise occupied." Emmett twitched slightly in recollection of the newly out-ed relationship of his little sister and our best friend.

Rosalie cocked her head and smirked. "Little sister…of course. That must be nice for your two." She smiled at Emmett and nuzzled her head into his shoulder. That look worried me.

Note to self: put a better face on for Rosalie. She's much smarter than I give her credit for.

"So, the suspense is killing me, Eddie—how was the famous Jake?" Emmett asked.

Ugh, right. I was still angry. I tried for nonchalance, though.

"Eh, he was fine. I don't see what all the big fuss is about. Yeah, he's a football player and like 7 feet tall. Whatever." Before they could respond, I had to get out of there. I could feel the tension building in my muscles again, and I was going to lose it in the very near future. "Alright, I'm going to head to Jasper's until practice. I'll see you there. Bye, Rose—lovely to see you, as always."

I'm sure they were confused by my sudden departure, but suddenly I couldn't be in the apartment anymore. I was surrounded by memories of _her_. And I was pretty sure she wasn't thinking about me as Jake's hands were groping her…probably as we speak.

I hopped into my shiny, silver Volvo, slammed on the gas, and sped off to Jasper's. Pulling my ipod out of the car, I searched around for Jasper's spare key. I knew he was probably still with Alice, and hopefully I could play Bella and Jake out of my system before enduring hours of practice with both of them in the same room…making eyes at each other.

Fuck. My. Life.

Maybe if you stopped being a pussy and told her how you felt, none of this would happen.

What about the rule?

Fuck the rule! You'd never leave Bella, and you know it. If you, I don't know, talked to Emmett and Jasper about it, I'm sure that it could happen. Stop hiding from your emotions, dude.

Emotions? …God, I'm turning into such a girl!

I sat down at the piano and sighed, willing the conflicting voices in my head to be drowned out by the music. Bella usually played the keyboard for us, but only because she didn't know it was my second instrument. My fingers ran through scales like second nature. I played through each scale concisely, trying to rid myself of thoughts of the "more than friendship" I had clearly just observed. If I had to endure watching the "Jake and Bella Show," for the next three days, maybe I could add a song to the set that would explain to her how I felt.

We already had a song on the set dedicated to our "friendship." I put my ipod in the speaker dock and pulled up our set playlist. When Bella and I came up with the new set list she thought it would be fun if we had a secret song—a song we both loved that we knew would be just for us. I took deep, even breaths as Sia's voice came through the speakers.

_Help, I have done it again_

_I have been here many times before_

_Hurt myself again today_

_And, the worst part is there's no-one else to blame_

_Be my friend_

It was such a chick song, but I had always loved Sia secretly (one of those Alice inspirations that I didn't back away from), and Bella's voice sung it with absolute conviction and beauty. The crowd loved it every time without fail.

I instantly felt calmer. Yes, this is what I needed. I need a song to convey how I'm feeling about the new light recently put upon Jake and Bella's "friendship."

God, what is this? High School Musical? …I was feeling scared and confused, so I decided to sing a song to Bella about how I was feeling scared and confused.

I don't even know who I am anymore. …Zac Efron, want to play Edward Cullen in the life story of the saddest fuck to ever live?

Just do it, pussy. It doesn't matter—you know this will make you feel better.

I know.

With that thought, I started flipping through my ipod looking for the song I knew would get my message across to Bella.

BPOV

My afternoon with Jake was awkward to say the least. I spent at least half the time avoiding his touch. And when he did touch me, I'd pull away ever so slightly just to keep it light and friendly. Clearly Jake was interested in more, which was partly my fault. It's not like I was seeing anyone, and I was probably confusing the hell out of him with my distance. But my heart belonged to Edward, and touching anyone else simply felt wrong right now.

Looking down at my watch I realized that we needed to get to band practice.

"So, where are we off to now, Bells?"

"Band practice," I smiled.

"I can't tell you how excited I am that you're out there performing. I always knew you were going to be amazing," Jake whispered. He leaned in and kissed my cheek softly. My cheeks pooled with blood. Apparently blushing was a natural reflex that I would never get rid of. "Aw, I've missed this." Jake stroked my cheek with the touch of a lover, and I grew even more uncomfortable.

Jake is my best friend in the entire world, and he has known me for nearly 20 years. This isn't unusual! Stop freaking out, or he's going to suspect something.

I calmed myself and simply smiled back. I used the rest of the drive to Jasper's to psych myself up for being in the same room as Edward with Jake present. It was a daily struggle to pretend I didn't have feelings for Edward in front of our band mates, but Jake knows my face too well—I feared that he'd see right through my act and call me out on it in front of everyone. Pretty much, I was scared shitless.

Inside Jasper's I was shocked to find Edward sitting at my keyboard. He was hunched over the keys looking extremely frustrated. As Jake made his way to introduce himself to Emmett, who already had him locked in an intense conversation about college football from what I could overhear, I sat down on the bench next to Edward.

He looked up at me with the scowl that I'd tried so hard to forget over the past month again. God, it was like that first day all over.

"I didn't know you played the piano." I motioned towards the keyboard, hoping that this line of conversation was easy enough.

"I guess there's a lot we don't know about one another," Edward quipped.

Okay, guess not.

I looked at the music stand and saw that there was a worn composition book opened to music handwritten out in Edward's neat script. I wondered if he had composed something for the band to play.

"What's this?" I asked.

Just then, Edward shot up off the bench and walked over to Emmett and Jasper and handed them some music. I raised my eyebrow, silently asking Edward where my music was.

Edward answered my unspoken question by coming back to the piano. Without so much as looking at me, Edward continued, "This is going to be a new addition to our set. Bella, I hope you don't mind, but I'm going to be playing the piano and singing this one."

"Oh?"

Edward refused to acknowledge me and continued to stare down the music. The knots in my stomach multiplied ten fold.

"Seeing as how you introduced me to the artist, I didn't think you would have a problem with me adding it to the set. If you _do_, however, have a problem with it, just let me know."

I got off the bench and made my way to the couch where Alice and Jake were already seated. Edward's behavior was making me more than a little nervous. After a month of being practically inseparable with no fighting, his attitude was giving me heart palpitations.

As soon as I heard the first chords of the song he had chosen, my heart clenched.

Disheartened, I listened to Edward's velvet voice begin my favorite Gavin Degraw song…aptly titled, "Just Friends."

_I saw you there last night standing in the dark_

_You were acting so in love with your hand upon his heart_

_But you were just friends, at least that's what you said_

_Now I know better from his fingers in your hair_

_I'll forgive you for what you've done_

_If you say that I'm the one_

There was so much anger and resentment behind Edward's playing. I couldn't help the tears that naturally pricked at my eyes. I tried my very hardest to not let them slide down my cheeks.

He had seen Jake's advances and knew that I had left him in the dark about the "benefits" of my friendship with Jake. I felt like such a bitch. A greedy, greedy bitch, who was too afraid of admitting about my relationship with Jake for fear of losing my relationship with Edward.

But, could he really mean the rest of the song? Would he actually forgive me for my relations with Jake if I promised myself to him? It seemed so simple on paper, but had he forgotten of "the rule"? He had to know by now that if there were no rule, I would be his unequivocally. As it was, I was already his…it just went unacknowledged.

I felt sick.

"Bells, are you okay? You're looking a little green," Jake whispered.

"I'm fine. I'm just going to use the bathroom really quickly," I said. I practically ran to the bathroom, gasping for air. I shut my eyes, willing the shame I felt to dissipate, but it only continued to grow. I held my breath as Edward continued singing loudly…and beautifully.

_I've had other options too, but all I want is you_

_Girl, your body fits me like a glove, and you showered me with words of love_

_While you were just friends, at least that's what you said_

_Now I know better from his fingers in your hair_

_I'll forgive you for what you've done_

_If you say that I'm the one_

_It's not my style to lay it on the line, but you don't leave me with a choice this time_

_Why weren't you true?_

_You know I, I trusted you…_

I tried to steady my breathing, but I couldn't stop the few tears that escaped down my cheeks. Just then, there was a light knock on the door, snapping me out of my Edward-induced stupor.

"Bella?" Alice's tinkling voice called from the other side. "Are you alright? …Bella, please open the door. I'm just concerned about you."

I sighed and opened the door for Alice. She shuffled inside the bathroom and gasped at my ghastly appearance.

"Oh my God, Bella! What's wrong?"

"It's nothing, really, Alice."

"Bella, I know that I haven't been the best friend recently, and that you would usually go to Edward, but I want you to know that I care a lot about you. I know that you're not okay, so please just tell me what's going on."

"It's j…just…J…Jake," I hiccupped, trying to get my words out calmly.

"What about him, honey?" Alice pet my hair, soothing my sobs.

"It's just too much with him here. I thought it would be fine, but it's not. And it's all my fault!"

Alice looked at me, perplexed, and the floodgates opened.

"It's just that for the past month I've gotten really close to Edward, and in some ways he took up the place that Jake has always had. And Jake's all pissed that I've "replaced" him…And Jake and I may have broken up two years ago, but that didn't stop us from having sex three months ago! And I can't handle this! He's looking at me all expectantly, and Edward's acting all hurt, and I'm hurting! They've known each other for, what, five hours? And they already hate each other! I just wanted them to love each other as much as I love them, you know? It's just too hard."

Alice's mouth opened slightly and then curved into the small smirk that was reminiscent of her brother's.

"Bella, honey, you need to tell people how you feel sooner. Then maybe we'd avoid these massive confession rants," Alice giggled. I remembered briefly that the last time I had had a tantrum of this nature was the day of the audition and smiled softly.

"You're right, Alice, but I just don't know what to do. And now they think I'm crazy because I'm having a breakdown in the middle of band practice."

Alice wiped the tears off of my cheeks and took out her lip-gloss for me.

"Put this on, and then you're getting back out there and finishing practice. You have a gig tomorrow night, and I won't let either one of those stupid boys mess that up for you, okay?"

I nodded, and with a renewed sense of confidence I made my way back out to our rehearsal. The entire room looked at me expectantly when I entered, but I simply sauntered over to the middle of the room and took my place behind the microphone.

I chanced a glance at my favorite green eyes, but they were too focused on tuning his guitar to notice my searching eyes.

"Let's do this, guys. Don't we have a gig tomorrow or something?" I smiled, trying my hardest to put on a brave face. Emmett and Jasper smiled, but Edward continued his tuning and avoided my gaze.

Practice finished fairly smoothly after that. Alice determined that we should head back to our apartment for pizza and drinks. After the day of awkward tension I had just experienced, nothing sounded better. Edward refused the invite, saying that he was going to hang out and work on some new songs for a little while longer.

As I was walking out, I heard Alice sternly talking to him. I lingered ever so slightly in an attempt to overhear their conversation.

"I'm fine, Alice," Edward whined. I knew that tone of voice all too well.

"You're not fine, Edward. You're being a fucking baby, and you're hurting Bella, so stop it. She wasn't crying in the bathroom because she was overcome by the beauty of your voice, Edward…so, get your shit together and FAST!" Alice threatened.

I walked away smiling. It was nice to have a friend like Alice.

Beer and pizza turned out to last for hours, which was great. Emmett and Jake pretty much fell in love with one another. I honestly didn't even need to be there for their conversation—they could be best friends without my presence. I smiled at the ease with which Jake was able to fit into my group of friends.

With the exception of Edward…

Don't think about that right now, please.

Around 11, Emmett and Jasper decided to head home respectively. They weren't admitting it, but I knew they both wanted to check on Edward. No one had heard from him since practice ended, and I knew they were both a little bit concerned by the reemergence of his PMS.

"Ready for bed, Jake?"

"Of course, Bells—just lead the way." Jake's eyes seemed to smolder with anticipation, and I wondered how I was going to turn down Jake without hurting his feelings.

I led Jake into my bedroom and within seconds he had me pinned down on my bed.

"God, Bells, I've been waiting for this all day long…" Jake placed sloppy kisses down my neck.

I attempted to get out of his grasp and whimpered in protest, but my actions only spurred him on further.

Jake's mouth was on mine then. His tongue pushed through my protesting lips and sought out mine. I gave up responding, hoping that my lack of response would get him off of me.

Jake continued to kiss me, the kisses getting progressively sloppier and wetter with each second.

Just then, Jake pulled back, confused.

"Shit, Bella. Are you okay? …you're crying."

Ah, so that's what the wetness was.

Seizing the opportunity, I sat up suddenly, pushing Jake to my side.

"I'm so sorry, Jake," I whispered, pleading that he wouldn't make me explain. But, of course, luck was not on my side.

"I don't understand, Bells. I thought this is what you wanted? I mean, I drove four hours and got my ass handed to me by my coach just so I could come and spend the weekend with you. I want you back, Bells. We're so great together, and now that I'm growing up, I see it so clearly." Jake pushed my hair out of my eyes reverently.

I looked into his pleading, dark eyes, knowing that he meant every word he was saying. I don't know what he saw in my eyes, but all of a sudden his eyes turned even darker, and Jake pushed himself off of the bed.

"It's him, isn't it?" I didn't respond. Jake grabbed my arm and pulled me up off the bed. "Answer me, God damn it, Bella! You won't be with me because you're fucking him, aren't you? I knew you were acting weird, and he was DEFINITELY acting weird…" Jake was starting to lose his temper, his voice rising with each word.

"No, Jake, it's not like that. I just…"

"You just, what?"

"I just can't do this" I said pointing to us both, "anymore. It doesn't feel right."

"Well, then I can't stay here, Bella. That doesn't feel right. Shit, I thought you knew I wanted to get back together. I thought I made it pretty obvious. I love you, I have always loved you." Jake stormed, gathering his stuff from my room.

"Jake, stop. You don't love me—you're just upset that I don't want to be your whore for the next three days!" I yelled back. Jake's fire was usually only put out with more fire.

"Well, you never seemed to have a problem being my whore before," Jake scoffed.

My eyes went wide with his implication. Is that all he thought about me? That after 20 years of friendship all I was to him was an easy lay?

"That's what you have to say to me, Jake?" I fumed. "You can't have me in bed, so you just choose to forget our friendship as well?"

"Fuck you, Bella!" Jake shouted. I recoiled. Jake had NEVER spoken to me like that before. "I don't want to just be your friend. I haven't been for a VERY long time. Now let me go!" Jake stormed out, and somewhere in the distance I heard the distinct rumbling of his truck pulling out of the driveway.

Minutes later, without even realizing how I'd gotten there, I was on Edward's front step, pulling the spare key out from under the welcome mat.

EPOV

Shit.

How had I fucked up this badly?

I loved Bella, and all I did was ruin her day with her best friend.

Now, I was just lying in bed, staring at the ceiling…ALONE, and wondering what Bella and Jake were doing at this very second. Did he wrap her in his arms and hold her through the night? Did he stay up late and wake up early to enjoy her nonsensical sleep rambling?

No, Cullen…probably not. Nope, he's probably loving her and worshiping her body this very second.

I groaned and put my hands behind my head. I couldn't bear to sleep on my side, facing her empty place in my bed. This theorizing about the whereabouts of Bella and Jake were going to drive me mad before I could see her again tomorrow afternoon.

Alice had handed my ass to me after practice, and I hate admitting it, but she was right. My HSM declaration of sorts only served to hurt Bella, and I didn't want that, right?

I loved her. And I made her cry.

I cringed, thinking about the rest of Alice's rant to me.

She insisted that Bella and I were "pretending" that we weren't in a relationship, but she knew better. She told me that she'd known since our first band practice together, and just because she was now with Jasper didn't mean that she didn't see us. Oh, no, Alice saw us perfectly. She saw the act that was crumbling before my very eyes every day. She told me to just "make a fucking move already" in typical Alice fashion, and now I was beginning to think that I just should.

Fuck, Jake. Fuck the rule. I'm going to do it.

…as soon as Jake is gone…

Wimp.

Just then I heard a key in the door and the sounds of small footsteps.

That's weird…I thought Emmett was spending the night at Rosalie's. Maybe he got kicked out. …typical Emmett.

My closed door opened a crack, and I sat up in bed, wondering who was coming to check on me now. Emmett and Jasper had tried to figure out what was going on with me earlier, but I think they gave up and blamed it on my PMS, like usual.

The door opened further and then shut softly. A dark shadowy figure approached the edge of my bed.

I was beginning to panic. Someone wouldn't just come into my room and kill me in the middle of the night, would they? I mean, it's not even the middle of the night...it's barely midnight. Don't thieves and murderers come out around like…3? Here's to hoping.

That's when I saw her.

Bella was standing at the edge of my bed with silent tears streaming down her face, her hair and clothes completely disheveled.

Hesitantly, I rolled my body back on its side, facing her. "Bella?" I whispered hoarsely. "What are you doing here?"

Without words, she crawled onto the bed and slipped under the comforter. That's when I saw the tears seeping out of her eyes and onto her cheeks. She looked broken, and I would do anything to put her back together again.

Tears still streaming down her face, she placed a trembling hand on my cheek and leaned closer. The world started going in slow motion. Everything I had wanted was finally coming to fruition. She placed her lips on mine softly at first and then slowly applied more pressure.

I recoiled.

I didn't want it to happen like this. I had just decided that I was finally going to let this happen, but I still wanted everything to be perfect, not marred with ill feelings, unknown traumas, and tears.

"Bella, what are you—"

She interrupted me by placing her lips lightly over mine again. "Please, Edward. Please. I need this. I need you, p...please," Bella whispered, her voice breaking with her tears.

"Shh," I whispered back, wiping the tears from her cheeks. "No more crying, Bella. I'm here, okay? I'm here."

God, I had no idea what I was doing, but…I was there. I had to let her know that I was there for her; I wasn't afraid of the repercussions anymore. Tonight would change everything, but hopefully when the sun came up again, we would be able to figure it out. No more pretending.

Bella leaned into my lips again and my pulled her in closer to my body, my hand tracing small circles on her lower back. I felt a small shudder from Bella as I kissed her back with slow, languid kisses. All the tension disappeared from her previously rigid body, and we melted into one another's kisses.

I couldn't rush anything. Bella had to do this on her own terms. It was the best feeling in the world to be able to kiss her, but I did not want to scare her off with the roaring passion I felt bubbling beneath the surface of our kiss.

Her lips, so soft against mine, were everything that I hoped they could be. Tentatively, I snaked my tongue out and brushed it on her lower lip. She opened her mouth, taking my tongue to meet hers. I forgot how good she tasted. Even in my fantasies, nothing could compare with the reality of Bella.

My touches got lazier and softer with each minute. I could feel us drifting towards sleep.

After some time (I don't know how long because Bella's kisses made me lose track of time all together), I pulled back and looked into her eyes.

"Bella, we're going to have to talk about this tomorrow." I kissed her chastely. Her tears had disappeared and her eyes were filled with an expression that I couldn't quite gauge. I needed to know how she felt about tonight. Was it just tonight? Was it still going to be there tomorrow? Was it forever?

I know I'm such a girl for admitting this, but God, I hoped it was forever.

She nodded. "Not right now, though, okay?"

I couldn't help but sigh in disappointment. I wanted to know what had happened tonight (and if I needed to kill Jake in the near future), but I nodded in agreement anyway. "Not right now."

I took her face in my hands again, and leaned in for an especially amazing kiss. Even if it was just for tonight, I was ecstatic to finally be able to be with Bella.

I reached for her hand and laced my fingers with hers. She smiled, eyes ablaze with emotion and leaned into my chest.

Just before she fell asleep I heard her mumble, "Thanks, Edward…love you."

My heart stopped. She had never uttered those words to me before. Would her affection ever cease to amaze me? Probably not.

Filled with hope for the future, we fell asleep with our bodies and hands intertwined, knowing that tomorrow was the start of something new.

**Chapter End Notes:**

**Yay?**

**Leave some love, please! Come on, I'm spoiling you guys with such quick updates, the least you can do is let me know what you think ;)**


	12. Chapter 12

**AN: Oh my freaking God, kids -- I am astounded by the positive response from the last two chapters. I'm seriously in awe of how many people have taken the time to talk to me about my little story :) And to everyone who just started reading this story--welcome!**

**Special thanks to kaystu, who helps me balance my life, write a tv pilot, and continue this fic. You're too patient with me, and I appreciate it more than you know.**

**Alright...onward! Enjoy.**

BPOV

I was pulled out of my slumber by a tingling feeling on my lips. I brought my hand up to run my fingers across my them, but was met with stubble instead. His lips smiled mine, and everything from the previous night came rushing back to me in full force.

Last night had started off as the worst night of my life. My best friend, who subsequently ran away and left me there when I wouldn't sleep with him, had basically admitted that he thought of me as his whore.

20 years of friendship down the drain. I never wanted to speak to Jake again.

But, God, it had turned into the best night. I knew that last night was the first night of forever. Edward's comfort was all I would ever need to set everything in the world right again. He was everything Jake had failed to be: gentle, caring, attentive, and most importantly…Edward. Kiss after kiss after kiss. There was nothing hurried or urgent behind them, just pure bliss.

I broke out into a huge smile and threw my leg over Edward's hip. He ran his hand up my thigh, where it stopped just short of where I wanted him to be.

"Hi," I said, looking up nervously through my lashes.

"Hi," he said, his green eyes sparkling in the late morning sunlight.

We were silent, just staring at one another in awe. Had last night been real? I tested my theory by diving in for another kiss. Edward responded eagerly, finally sliding his hand to cup my ass and bring me closer to his…WHOA, hey there, Edward.

Yup, last night definitely happened. Without a doubt.

Smiling against his kiss, I brought my leg further past his hip to roll him onto his back. Now straddling him, both of his hands were able to rest on my ass.

"You kissed me last night," he grinned.

"You kissed me this morning," I retorted. God, he was so ridiculous some times.

I felt his hand pull at my neck and pull me flush against his chest, reaching specifically for my mouth. He deepened the kiss, bringing his tongue to meet mine in a moment of sheer ecstasy. In an instinctual response, I ground my hips into his very prominent morning wood. The friction was exactly what I needed, and I could feel myself getting wetter with need.

"Mmm, Edward, please…" I moaned.

He let out a strangled groan as his hands came around to still my hips.

"Fuck, Bella," he panted, "are you sure about this?"

I nodded slightly and his entire face lit up. He looked so damn eager, like I had the golden key to something he desperately needed to unlock.

Well, I supposed that was kind of true…

I wrapped my hands around his neck and scratched the nape of his neck lightly.

He swooped in and began kissing me again. "You have…no idea…how long…I've wanted…this," Edward sighed between kisses.

I rolled off of him, flopping back down on my side of the bed, grinning like the cat that ate the canary.

I'm pretty positive that the same shit-eating grin was currently gracing his features as well. God, it felt so good to just be able to touch one another. That tingling feeling of sexual tension didn't exactly go away, but it was like scratching at chicken pox—the itch isn't gone, but it feels SO good!

Now that I knew for sure that Edward wanted to be with me…more than friends, clearly, I decided it was okay to have a little bit of fun in teasing him.

"Whatever," I said, rolling to my side to face him, "you're just glad you no longer have to beat it by yourself in the shower every morning." I raised my eyebrow suggestively.

His face was priceless. It contorted into this expression of shame, then anger, and then curiosity all in one second. He propped himself up on his elbow to look into my eyes.

"I…what…how did you—"

"I may or may not have walked into the bathroom while you were having your one on one time the other day…"

He looked completely incredulous and then broke out into another large smile. "So, what? You just walked into the bathroom while I was showering to get a glimpse of my super hot bod?"

I shoved his arm playfully. "You cocky ass! The only reason I even went into the bathroom in the first place is because you called out my name."

His mouth dropped open again in a flustered fit of shock and embarrassment. He just looked so adorable. I just laughed and covered his lips with mine again, getting on top of him again, so relieved that I no longer needed to deny the pull between us.

Kissing Edward was like tasting a forbidden fruit…I mean, I get it; Adam and Eve REALLY wanted that apple, okay? What's so wrong with tasting it…especially when it tastes so damn delicious!

Our hands were everywhere. Fingers exploring surfaces that had gone untouched in months. His hand ghosted up my side, just as it had in my dream that first night I slept in his bed. Only now, it was real, hence, MUCH better. His fingers tentatively slipped forward, brushing the underside of my breast. A soft whimper escaped from my lips. My skin ached to be caressed by his fingertips skin to skin, rather than through the harsh fabric of my jeans and t-shirt from yesterday's Seattle adventure. I started lifting the hem of my shirt when Edward grabbed my hands, stilling them and sat up suddenly, almost knocking me off the bed. Luckily Edward has fast reflexes, and he secured my legs to either side of his lap before I could tumble to the ground.

"What?" I asked confused and a little hurt.

"Bella, you promised we'd talk today. Something happened with Jake, and I need to know what it was before we can continue any of this," he said insistently.

His hand ruffled through his hair, and he looked into my eyes, distraught. I put my hands on either side of his face and ran my fingers over his stubble and frowned. I knew my actions were probably confusing the hell out of him, but I just didn't want to rehash my fight with Jake.

"I'm not saying that this can't continue," Edward chuckled. "In fact, I can promise you without a doubt that we will get to all of this soon," he ran his hands down my thighs and I shivered in anticipation, "but," he continued, "we really need to talk first."

I knew he meant well, but I really had no desire to go over the events that had brought me to his bed last night. I made a face.

Stupid open-book face. I hate you right now.

"Bella," he took a deep, steadying breath, as if preparing for the worst, "where is Jake right now?"

"I don't know, and I really don't care," I grumbled, looking at my hands in my lap. Jake hadn't called to let me know if he had gotten home alright. I mean, I knew he probably wouldn't, but I could help but worry about him driving all night being so upset.

I could feel Edward's eyes boring holes into my forehead.

"Please, just tell me what happened, Bella. I promise I won't get upset…no matter what."

"No matter what?"

He nodded.

"Edward, you've got the worst temper out of anyone I know, and I really don't believe you," I scoffed, avoiding the subject again.

He put his finger underneath my chin pulling it up, and I met his gaze.

He smiled my favorite smile, and in the morning sunlight filtering through his blinds, I swear to God there was a halo around his head. My own personal angel.

He looked so incredibly concerned. I had never felt that kind of attentiveness before. It was too much, and I broke down in tears…again.

Why do I suck at life so much? I didn't deserve his comfort.

He wrapped his hands around my back and pulled me closer so I could cry into his shoulder with my noisy sobs.

EPOV

Good god, what was I going to do? What if she had been hurt?

If that good for nothing oaf of a kid hurt her, I swear I'll…

Swear you'll what, Cullen? You can't trek across the country to kick his ass—no matter how cathartic that first punch would feel.

Fine.

Yeah, come on, pay attention. You have a gorgeous crying girl in your lap right now.

As soon as I thought about Bella in my lap, I thought about the feel of her tongue on mine as it was all last night. It took all I had to suppress the erection I knew wanted to come out and say hello to Bella. But for the crying girl's sake, I kept it down.

Thank God, man. That would have been pretty bad.

She pulled back, looking scared and nervous.

Of me? …well, that's no good.

You can handle this.

"Bella, come on—whatever you have to say, just say it. It'll be alright," I continued as my hands ran lightly up and down her sides in what I hoped were light, comforting strokes.

"I was so upset yesterday, Edward. I know you didn't mean to, and it was totally my fault, but I acted like an idiot and hurt everyone, including myself," she looked straight into my eyes. "Edward, I really, really…luh…like you. I have since the day you helped me off the bathroom floor."

I smiled. She really, really luh-liked me. For almost as long as I'd liked her. Not that girls liking me was something new, because it definitely wasn't, but Bella acknowledging that she liked me was something different indeed.

Wait—just "like"?

She had said she loved me last night, but she was so emotionally drained by that point…

….we can work on the love thing…it'll happen, I'm sure.

Haha, good pep talk. Okay, now back to the pretty girl with all the confessions, who is STILL in your lap.

"This is really hard to admit," she stumbled, "but you guessed right. It's why I got so upset yesterday when you were singing at practice. Jake and I, we…well, he basically came out here to ask me to be his girlfriend again."

My mouth dropped in shock. He had asked her to be his girlfriend and she ran to my bed?

Fuck yeah. Nice work, Cullen.

Stop patting yourself on the back, the girl is still talking.

Right.

"When I told him that I didn't think that was a good idea, he essentially told me that he only came up here to sleep with me…and we both used the word…whore," Bella whimpered. "I should have said something back—I should have told him about my feelings for you, but I was just in too much shock, you know?" She paused, giving me time to respond.

Only I had no idea what to say.

What do you say to someone who just found out that 20 years of friendship was a complete farce? That the guy you gave your fucking virginity and… years of love to …stopped thinking about you as a person and started thinking of you as a not much more than a blow up doll?

"I will actually kill him," I growled. I could feel the tension returning to my jaw, and I gripped Bella's sides tighter. "What right does he have to.—"

"Edward, the problem is that he's right. I've been sleeping with him casually for the past two years. It's my fault; I shouldn't have pretended like it was going to be the same when he got up here. I did nothing but provoke his actions," she sighed.

What. The. Fuck.

Stay calm, Edward.

"Um, no, Bel…it's not your fault at all. Casual sex with the same guy for…how many years, doesn't make you a whore by any means. I mean, if we want to trade records here, I'm certainly the whore out of the two of us," I laughed, hoping to lighten the mood.

It worked slightly, and I finally got a small smile out of her. I pushed her tear-matted hair out of her face and stroked her splotchy cheek.

"You're way too nice to me. I was sure you were going to kick me out after you heard about me and Jake," she cringed.

Yeah, I wasn't particularly happy about that. But, honestly, who am I to judge? I've had sex in a public shower with my TA for God's sake, and she was nervous about confessing that she had been sleeping with one of her closest friends on and off for multiple years?

"Kick you out? No way…I'm way too greedy to do that," I smiled. Nervously I continued on. "So…where does that leave us now? Was what happened last night just a bad reaction to Jake?" I gulped. "I would understand…as a friend…if you…just needed to be assured that—"

"God no!" she said, her hands gripping my shoulders forcefully. "Edward, I meant what I said. I obviously want to be more than friends. I mean, I spied on you in the shower, for God's sake! Jake being a jerk was just the catalyst for me to stop denying what I, …I mean, we, were already feeling," Bella mumbled nervously.

All I could do was smile. I was right. This was forever.

Forever with Bella. Well, aren't you just one lucky son of a bitch.

"Catalyst, huh?" I smirked, looking into her glowing eyes. I swear, they were completely hypnotizing. I couldn't look away.

"Lucky for you, Jake's a douche bag," Bella whispered, leaning into my lips again.

Ah, sweet ambrosia.

"I could have told you that yesterday," I smiled against her lips. She pressed into me further, and I sunk into a further state of bliss.

Then, unfortunately for me, my morning wood reared its ugly head once again at her slightest touch. She noticed, and her hands edged closer and closer to my pulsing dick.

I grunted.

All making out and no release makes Edward's cock a cranky boy.

"So, what are we going to do about this problem?" the devil asked as her hands ran up and down my thighs.

"Wh...what problem?"

Please be talking about my dick…

"The rule still exists, right?" Bella asked.

Oh yeah, shit. Well…

Hey now, I remember having a great idea about a month back (thank you, Jasper, for the inspiration) if a problem such as this should…arise.

Wow, you're BAD at puns, kid.

Shh. I'm finally going to get some today.

Yeah, you are! – (that sounded eerily like Emmett).

I smirked.

"Yes, the rule still applies. But, I have an idea."

"Really? You have an idea? That's hard to believe," Bella quipped.

God, I loved this woman so much. Already busting my balls, and I was entirely okay with it.

"It's a pretty good idea. So, do you want to hear it or what?"

She opened her eyes wide to acknowledge the fact that she would discontinue her interruptions.

"What if we explored…um…this, but we kept it a secret for the time being?" I asked, hoping to God she'd agree.

"Okay, I think secret would be good," Bella smiled. I hoped that her thoughts had gone the same way as mine otherwise she was going to think I was a dirty, dirty fucker in a few minutes.

"See, I came to the conclusion that Emmet and Jasper wouldn't have a problem with us being together if that's what we were…you know, together. No one else, just us, committed and all that good stuff."

"So, what? You want to do stuff in secret just in case you can't keep it to just me, and then they would never have to know?" she asked, clearly hurt by my implications.

Why do girls always take words and twist them in ways I never thought even remotely possible?

Who knows…their minds work in STRANGE ways.

"No," I cut in," nothing like that. I know I can keep it in my pants, Bel. I lo…like you, too."

Way to slip up, buddy. You are completely incapable of not screwing anything up.

I refuse to screw this up.

"In fact," I continued, "I like you SO much that I kind of want to keep you just to myself for a while…hence the secret. I feel like if Emmett and Jasper and even Rosalie and Alice knew that we were together, they'd interfere. I just want it to be you and me for a while, you know?"

Bella's lips crashed into mine, and I was overtaken by her taste once again. She pulled away far too quickly for my liking, licking her luscious lips.

"Secret is fine, Edward. Seriously…it's kind of hot," she looked up, eyes smoldering. Her legs widened slightly around my lap as she ground lightly into me. I could feel the heat seeping through the crotch of her jeans, much to my delight.

Oh, yes.

Score one, Cullen.

"We're really going to do this, Edward?"

"Absolutely," I groaned as her heat continued to permeate through the thin fabric separating us.

My erection had yet to subside, and it was now bordering on slightly painful. Bella shifted back slightly after noticing my obvious discomfort.

She quirked an eyebrow at me, and I could see the beginnings of my little cock-tease come out to play again.

"So…would you like an extra hand to help you in the shower this morning?" Bella whispered in my ear and gently bit down on my earlobe.

That is the hottest thing ever.

"I would LOVE one," I said as I threw her over my shoulder and walked into my bathroom, locking the door.

Emmett shouldn't be home for hours, but...just in case…

I put Bella down to leave her standing in the middle of the bathroom waiting. Her hair was still tousled from sleeping and her cheeks were flushed from her recent head rush. She was absolutely the most gorgeous thing I'd ever seen.

I pulled my t-shirt over my head and her eyes raked over my body. I lowered my boxers, and my erection finally sprang free.

Hey there. Welcome to a brand new way of life, buddy—one where you won't be so terribly acquainted with my right hand.

Thank Christ. Seriously, it's about time (did my cock actually just reply to me?...I think it did).

If I didn't explode in under a minute, today will have been a success.

Bella blushed, of course. I strode to the shower, but brushed by her purposefully. Her arms broke out in goose bumps, and I couldn't help but mentally pat myself on the back again.

I turned on the shower, ensuring that it was the perfect temperature.

Then, it was my turn to break out into goose bumps. Two tiny arms pulled at my sides and forced me against her very bare and very soft skin. I felt a soft kiss on the back of my shoulder, and I broke out into a full grin.

I turned around and pulled her into the shower with me.

Before I could do anything, or have time to properly ogle her naked body, my back was pushed up against the cool tiles of the shower wall. She may be little, but Bella was a mighty force. She pulled my lips down to hers again, and I complied with little resistance.

Bella was standing in my shower. Naked. And wet.

Mmm…wet.

The water cascaded down both of our bodies. My hands slipped down her back, resting on the curve of her ass, bringing her closer to me.

Looking down at her, I was in complete awe that someone as amazing as Bella could possibly want to be with me.

"Beautiful," I murmured softly.

Her eyes lit up with fire as she reached one of her tiny hands to help me with my very big problem. I thought I was going to die of happiness right there.

I had never felt anything better in my entire life. She ran her hand up my length and swirled her hand around the head. It was as if she knew exactly how to get me off without the slightest bit of guidance. My hands tightened around her ass, massaging her skin harder with each one of her slow strokes.

"So, how long did you observe me in the shower, Bel, cause that's EXACTLY how I do it," I joked.

She continued stroking me with perfection, and sat me down on the ledge of the shower.

"Oh, exactly like you do it? Let's see if I can't do it better…" With that, Bella sank to her knees and licked her way up my cock.

It twitched uncontrollably, and she laughed. "Yup, d…definitely b…bet…ter," I stammered.

Was she trying to get me to come all over her face?

Oh, no…my head liked that idea far too much.

She's a lady, respect her God damn it. There will be no coming on her face, Cullen.

Yeah, but what if she—

My inner monologue was completely shot to shit as Bella finally put her hot mouth over my cock.

"Fuck, fuck, fuck," I stammered. I held my fists tightly, thinking of the most unappealing things I could so I wouldn't burst that very second. Somehow, her mouth got tighter than I thought was humanly possible, and she started swirling her tongue, too. The texture of her tongue combined with the heat of the shower and the image of Bella on her knees. Gah.

Fucking shit, she was TOO good at this.

Don't take this time to think about all the blowjobs she's given before, and look at her, please. Enjoy it while you can because you're going to lose it soon, bro.

"God, Bella…that's so ugh…good."

I chanced a glance down at Bella, who was staring up at me intently with blazing brown eyes. I pushed her wet hair out of her eyes, in what I hoped was an action of gratitude, but my hands took over (as they tend to do when Bella is involved).

My hands knotted themselves in the back of her hair and moved her head in the best rhythm possible. I watched my cock slippery from water and saliva slide in and out of her pouty, swollen lips, and I couldn't contain myself anymore.

I was now thrusting my hips up gently, forcing more of myself down her throat. I couldn't even help it. It was like I was no longer in control of my body at all. I was a marionette, and Bella was holding all of the strings.

Oh, Pinocchio, if you only knew the joys of Bella's mouth.

I was too close to the edge and tapped her shoulder lightly to let her know I was close. She released me, but her hand took over where her mouth had been.

One thrust…two thrust…thr…FUCK!

My eyes closed, and my head rolled back as I groaned, "Bella…" and came with great force onto both Bella and myself.

Thank God we were in the shower, otherwise that'd be pretty messy to clean up.

Why is jizz so gross?

I lifted Bella by her hips and pushed her towards the warm spray of the showerhead and up against the far wall.

"That was…" _kiss_, "so much better," _kiss_, "than doing it," _kiss_, "myself," I declared.

Bella wrapped her hands around my neck. "I should hope so," she laughed.

I was overcome with happiness at the normalcy of this situation. –it was as if getting head from Bella is the shower was completely routine (completely mind-blowing, but routine, none the less)—no awkwardness, just pure enjoyment of one another. Just as we had slipped into an easy friendship, we slipped into an easier relationship.

This thing with Bella was confusing as hell. I was going into entirely uncharted waters, and I had absolutely no clue what I was doing, but whatever it was…it was good.

**Chapter End Notes:**

**First lemon…thoughts? More? Leave some love :)**


	13. Chapter 13

**AN: Thank you to everyone who has been reading/reviewing. This story would be nothing without you.**

**On another note, I'm sorry that so many of you were concerned Bella wasn't getting anything. ...would I leave my girl hanging? I think not!**

**Also, one of my fabulous readers, butterflies1993, created a thread for Off Limits in the forum--so exciting! Go check it out: .?f=44&t=4019**

EPOV

After completely using up all the hot water in shower, Bella still hadn't gotten off, and I was starting to feel a little guilty.

I mean, I may have come in about two minutes after her expert ministrations on my dick, but we spent about thirty minutes just soaping each other up and caressing every inch of skin we possibly could. Washing Bella's hair was the highlight of that shower.

Okay, that's a lie—Bella's mouth on me was DEFINITLEY the highlight—but shampooing came in as a close second.

I'm not above admitting that I had smelled her shampoo a few times during my morning jerk off. It was just like concentrated Bella smell, though—and if that makes me a perv, then so be it.

But, seriously, she looked like a little content kitten as I lathered her hair up. She may have even purred a little bit (which went straight to my cock, as does every small noise Bella makes, apparently).

I grabbed my big blue bath towel and wrapped in around her naked, wet body. I was sad to see the wetness go—it was utterly sexy.

Haha…let's be honest, Cullen, she won't be DRY for very long.

I chuckled out loud, giddy at the thought.

Her eyes snapped to mine, as she continued toweling herself off. "What's so funny?"

"I was just thinking about how wet you are," I smirked.

Her mouth dropped open in shock, and she punched my arm…hard.

Ow. Note to self, Bella's got a killer arm.

"Well, you're actually wrong," she stated adamantly, "I'm getting all dry now."

Yes…she had walked RIGHT into that one.

"Not for long," I said as I carried her back out to my bed, leaving the towels somewhere on my carpet. "Your turn."

I climbed on top of her, pinning her underneath me swiftly. Our skin-to-skin contact in the shower had been amazing, but it was nothing like feeling her flushed and warm underneath me with no water in the way.

Time to test out your theory, dude. And by the way, if your theory is correct, you're going to need an afternoon of repeated orgasms to help crush the overwhelming sense of sexual repression you've been dealing with for the past month.

I took my time enjoying Bella's body…with my mouth, of course. I kissed her freshly showered skin, still damp. My mouth trailed down her neck slowly and finally made it to the swell of her breasts.

I wanted nothing more than to live RIGHT there. I kissed her harder, letting my tongue dart out occasionally as Bella pushed my head further into her cleavage..

Would she be completely offended if I motor-boated the shit out of her boobs?

Probably…

I heard her groan softly, and I could actually smell her arousal from where I was lying.

I started pushing myself further down Bella's body, gazing at her flushed body through my lashes. Her body was so incredibly beautiful, and I wasn't planning on letting her forget it any time soon.

I pushed myself all the way down to her ankles, and lifted them up one at a time, placing feather light kisses on each. Slowly, I kissed myself up her calf, along the inside of her knee, and up her thigh—stopping just short of her (smirk) VERY wet core. I repeated the same actions on her other leg, teasing her with each slow, but incredibly light kiss.

I chanced a glance up at Bella, who had now propped herself up on her elbows to watch me more closely.

Slowly and deliberately, I licked up her dripping core.

Bella's head tilted back, like an infant incapable of holding itself up, and I laughed lightly, causing her to make the most delicious sounds.

"Mmm, Bella…what do you want me to do?" I prodded.

Her head lolled forward sleepily, and she sighed. Annoyed that she hadn't gotten the point yet, I started to move my head away from where I knew she wanted me. Her eyes looked confused.

"What are you—"

"What do you want me to do, Bella?" I insisted.

Oh, God. Please say the words—PLEASE. Let me know it wasn't all in my head, Bella.

Just then, something flashed behind her eyes, and she looked at me deliberately and said, "Taste me, Edward."

I didn't even stop to think before plunging my tongue back into her wet folds, lapping at her without hesitation.

"Agh!" She let out a strangled moan. "Faster, Edward!"

Yes, yes, and yes.

She grabbed at my hair and pushed me further into her—I wasn't planning on fighting her.

"Fuck…so…close…" Bella gasped.

I moved my tongue up to press into her clit and pushed two fingers into her. Within seconds, she was trembling around my fingers. Her climax overtook her and she screamed my name out…loudly.

Good thing Emmett's not home, or that would be pretty bad.

I propped myself up next to Bella, admiring her post-coital glow.

You caused that, buddy. Superb job.

"We're going to have to work on your volume control," I winked. Her face broke out into the sweetest smile.

"That was," Bella breathed heavily, "literally a dream come true."

"I know," I smiled, running my fingers up and down her arm. Bella rolled onto my chest and looked up earnestly.

"Oh, really?" she asked, disbelieving.

"Yup. You do realize that you talk in your sleep, right?

Her entire body blushed as she tucked her head into my chest. I laughed again. It was mean to embarrass her, but she was just so damn cute. Plus, her sleep talking had tortured me for the past month, and it was nice to know that she actually HAD been dreaming about me.

"How much did you actually hear?" she asked nervously.

I decided to lay it on the line. Honesty is the foundation of any good relationship, right? I'm sure I'd heard that from Alice in her Cosmo-induced rants one time or another.

"Bella, the first night you slept over, I had to book it out of bed and into the shower at an ungodly hour because you were moaning…at a deafening decibel, and muttering, 'taste me, Edward,' and 'faster,'…and did I mention the moaning?" I added playfully.

She scowled, after blushing furiously again.

"It's more than okay, Bella. Honestly, it was worth the abuse from my right hand just to know that you were dreaming about me like that," I continued earnestly.

No sense in making her embarrassed. I wanted her to know that I wanted this more than anything.

Her expression melted into one of warmth before returning to an angry scowl.

I pushed a stray hair out of her eyes. "What?"

"You mean, we could have been doing this for the past month? And you didn't say ANYTHING?" she huffed.

My erection sprang to life again at her words.

Damn cock…starved for Bella's attention.

"I…uh…we should probably put on clothes now…" I said wistfully. I didn't want to make her think that I only wanted to be naked with her.

No, because I'm better than Jake.

"Yeah, we probably should…"

BPOV

Two hours and four orgasms later, Edward and I were still naked in his bed. It was like we were in our own little happy bubble, and nothing could interrupt us…until my stomach finally made itself present with a loud grumble.

Edward looked over at me and just burst out laughing. "Breakfast?" he asked.

"It's noon, Edward."

"Brunch, then. What do you want?" Edward asked, rolling off the bed and grabbing a pair of boxers and a t-shirt.

_Such a shame to cover that up all that pretty_, I thought.

"French toast?" I heard him call from the kitchen.

"Sounds good," I called back. Getting up off the bed felt like torture, but I suppose that I had to get up if I wanted to join Edward in the kitchen. I searched around Edward's drawers for something to wear and found his Clash concert t-shirt and…a pair of my underwear?

I was wondering where these had gone! It was a pair of navy boy shorts that I had assumed had gone missing in the wash.

Apparently not. Apparently Edward is a panty thief.

Am I okay with that?

Yes…definitely yes.

I had my own drawer of clothes in his dresser because of all the time I had been spending there, but…this pair was CLEARLY in one of his drawers.

I walked out to the kitchen with them on my hand and raised my eyebrow in question.

Edward was distracted in the kitchen, cracking eggs for our French toast, completely unaware of my presence.

Typical boy. Get food involved and you'll never hold their interest again.

I cleared my throat loudly, and he looked up. His eyes went to the panties I was dangling from my finger.

Edward's face contorted into the most priceless expression I'd ever seen. It was a mixture of embarrassment and shame and guilt and admission and lust all rolled into one little package.

"Um…are you going to tell me why you have my favorite pair of underwear in your t-shirt drawer, Edward?"

He shifted uncomfortably, and I resisted the urge to burst out laughing.

"If I said I washed them and was going to give them back to you, would you believe me?"

"No, but do you mind if I take them back now? They really are my favorite," I said. He nodded silently as I slipped them on.

"PS, I was going to wear that shirt tonight. Remember it's 80s night at The Mansion? …why every fraternity has to have an 80s night, I'll never know, but at least you'll be singing your favorite songs, right?"

Rambling, Edward had gone back to cooking our French toast, and I couldn't help but stop and stare at him. Edward's body in the shower was beautiful. Edward's cock was…glorious (for lack of a better word). It still hadn't been IN me, but I liked to think that Edward was giving me some time after being referred to as a whore before plowing into me.

Although the plowing was DEFINITELY going to have to happen soon.

If I thought shower Edward was beautiful, Edward cooking in the kitchen in just his boxers and t-shirt was something else. He looked so domestic. I knew it was totally wrong and way more than premature, but I couldn't help but to picture Future Edward cooking Future Bella and Future Baby breakfast.

Future Baby was gorgeous. She had her daddy's bronze hair and her mommy's brown eyes. She was shy like her mommy, but her velvet laugh lit up the room around her like her dad's.

"Bella?" Edward's voice pulled me out of my insanely inappropriate future fantasy, and I smiled at his concerned face. "Where'd you go, Bel? Did you even hear anything I just said?"

Instead of scaring the best thing to ever happen to me with my vision of our life together, I avoided his question completely. I ran into his arms, wrapping my arms around his neck and pulled myself up to wrap my legs around his waist.

Finally free to kiss Edward, I did just that. He replied eagerly, pushing my back up against the countertop. I could feel myself getting wet against his hardness…AGAIN, and wondered if we would ever have our fill of one another?

…God, I hoped not.

But would Edward? He was notorious for getting bored with girls after becoming sexually involved with them. Would these be a two-week fling for him? And then, what? Would we just go back to being friends after he tired of my body?

Stop working yourself up, Bella. You have a sex god attached to your mouth right now. He's not going to leave you, he gave up random sex for YOU. …for a month. He's not going to just let that go after a week.

Just in case, though…why don't we let him set the pace for the emotional stuff…just in case, of course.

Just then, a key in the door broke not only my inner diatribe, but also the heated embrace Edward and I were locked in. We jumped about three feet away from one another just as the door opened and Emmett barreled inside.

"Hey, Em…french toast?" Edward offered.

Emmett looked up at me, confused.

"Why is Bella here? Where's Jake?"

Edward tried to motion to Emmett to stop, you know, that subtle eye widening and slight shake of the head, but…Emmett was slow on the uptake, as usual.

"That guy is seriously cool, Bella…he even said that he could hook me up with some future football tickets. How baller is that?" Emmett said as he threw his arm around my shoulder.

I shrugged it off and sat down at the table, not feeling so hungry anymore. Edward set the food down on the center of the table, sat down next to me, and laced his fingers with mine underneath the table, keeping his eyes on Emmett.

"Um, Bella and Jake kind of got into a fight last night. He ended up going back to Oregon," Edward said as his thumb ran across my knuckles. It calmed me immediately.

"Hmm," Emmett grumbled, grabbing two pieces of French toast, "I guess I can live without the football tickets. Anything I can do?"

I didn't know how to respond to Emmett without potentially breaking down again, so I didn't respond at all. In my lack of response, Edward and Emmett must have had some sort of Cullen family secret conversation and Emmett slammed his hand down on the table loudly, startling the crap out of me.

"Shit. Do Edward and I need to haul ass to Oregon and kick Jake's ass? He may be tall, but I could take that brat any day of the week," Emmett growled.

"Amen to that," Edward added.

Just then, as if my life were some sort of sick sit-com, I heard 98 Degrees coming from the floor of Edward's bedroom, where I had haphazardly thrown my purse last night. The room went silent as the ringtone continued to play through the chorus a second time, no one moving a muscle. About a minute later (although it may as well have been an hour), the voicemail _ding_ went off, indicating that Jake had left a message.

I exhaled the breath I didn't know I had been holding, and Edward's grip on my hand got exponentially looser than the death grip he had been sporting a minute earlier.

We ate in awkward silence for the next few minutes until Edward clearly couldn't stand it anymore.

"So, what are you wearing tonight, Emmett?"

"For the 80s theme? I was thinking I might do the super preppy look—like pink polo, cable knit sweater…dockers, the whole deal…you?" Emmett said as he chewed loudly.

"Well, I was going to wear my Clash shirt, but Bella found it first, so…I'm not so sure anymore. Bel, you went shopping with Alice the other day for your outfit, right?"

"Mmhmm," I replied, not really listening to them. My mind was reeling, wondering what Jake had to say for himself. "Alice said it's 'very Madonna,' but I think I kind of look like a cheap hooker." I winced a little at my own implication.

Emmett, finally unable to take the tension mumbled something to Edward about the great food and took off to his room.

"I'm sorry," I whispered.

Edward's eyes flashed with concern. "Don't do that, Bella." My eyes widened. "Don't for one second think that anything Jake said was even remotely true. I thought we talked about this?" He paused. "Do you want me to listen to the message first?"

Um, that would be a TERRIBLE idea.

"No, that's okay. I can handle it." I smiled. It wasn't Edward's fault that I had had a fallout with Jake. I mean, it kind of was, but…argh, whatever. I pushed myself away from the table and scrambled to get my clothes back on in Edward's room. He stood in the door, waiting patiently for me.

"Do you have to leave already?" he pouted.

How that boy has handled my mood swings for the past month and still wanted to be with me, I will absolutely never know. God, I loved him so much.

"Yes, I do. Alice said that she needed at LEAST a few hours to make me into an 80s goddess," I laughed, wrapping my arms around his waist.

Looking down the hall at Emmett's closed door, I reached up and kissed Edward. I meant for it to be quick, but Edward had other plans. All of a sudden I was pinned up against the wall, one of Edward's hands on the wall next to my face, the other securely attached to my hip, and his tongue searching out mine earnestly. He tasted of syrup and sunshine and happiness, and I knew that no matter what Jake had left on my message I would be okay.

He pushed off the wall slightly and looked down at me, smiling my favorite crooked grin.

"This sneaking around thing is going to be quite the challenge, Cullen—I can't wait to see what you try and pull tonight," I said, reaching up to kiss his cheek and slipping out of his grasp.

I turned around briefly at the door and saw Edward standing in the exact same position with one hand still on the wall, and I could tell he was still smiling.

"Game on, Swan," I heard Edward chuckle as I closed the front door.

Yes. This was going to be good.

**Chapter End Notes:**

**Let me know what you're thinking! Reviews are better than dirty dreams about Edward come to life...well, almost ;)**

**And question of the day: What's your favorite 80s song?**


	14. Chapter 14

**AN: This is the result of my love for the 80s, combined with my current level of sexual frustration...clearly, haha.**

**I continue to enjoy all of your reviews. This chapter is a bit longer than I anticipated, so...the more love I get, the more love I give back ;)**

**Apologies for the switching POVs again. Bella and Edward just both wanted to say too much.**

EPOV

After Bella left, I realized that I needed to get out of the apartment, otherwise I'd be left thinking about all of the things I wanted to do to her backstage later tonight. Also, I still had no clue what I was going wear tonight. Attempting to clear my head and figure something out, I threw my sheets in the laundry (after three hours with Bella I was sure our bodily fluids were going to saturate and make a baby if I didn't wash them out immediately), and headed out to the store.

Per usual, my psychic sister came to my wardrobe rescue. I came home from grocery shopping to a bag of clothes on my bed with a note that just said,

_You're Welcome. Love, Alice_.

Trying to put on the insanely tight, distressed acid wash jeans, I wasn't sure what I was really welcome for anymore. I mean, who pays money for jeans that are already ripped? …only Alice.

I couldn't wait to see Bella. She constantly talked about how obsessed with the 1980s she was, and I had never seen her happier than practicing our set for tonight. In fact, she didn't even complain when Alice took her shopping for an outfit last week, which was testament to exactly how excited Bella actually was. –I don't think she would willingly shop with Alice otherwise.

I pulled on my Clash t-shirt and reveled in the fact that it still smelled like Bella.

Just then, Emmett and Rosalie's arguing pulled me out of my Bella-induced trance and into the living room. Rosalie had gone all out. She literally looked like she had cloned Madonna…white corset, "Boy Toy" belt, and all.

I crossed my arms in amusement, watching as Emmett pawed at Rosalie while she tried to push him off and keep her costume in place.

"Come on Rosie, we have at least 15 more minutes until Alice gets here…"

"Emmett, do you know how hard I worked on my hair? On my makeup? 15 minutes is not worth messing that up," Rosalie huffed.

Emmett sat down on the couch, looking dejected. I had to laugh. Rosalie looked pretty hot, but I could only hope that Alice hadn't put red lipstick on Bella, otherwise my backstage hookup plans were going to be pretty difficult to achieve secretly.

Rosalie's eyes sought me out as she heard my snickering. She gave me the once over and smiled broadly.

"You're looking good tonight, Edward."

Well, that's just weird. Rosalie being nice? …what's the catch?

I walked over to the refrigerator and cracked open a beer. Maybe alcohol would help me not spaz at "friendly Rosalie."

"Uh, thanks?"

"You know, you look like you walked straight out of Bella's wet dream…"

I gasped and accidentally inhaled my beer, coughing uncontrollably.

"I'm sorry…what?" I choked out.

So much for not spazzing.

Rosalie sat down next to Emmett on the couch, stroking his knee lightly, completely distracting him from our truly bizarre conversation.

"Oh, yeah—she was just talking to Alice and I the other afternoon about how she's always had this Axl Rose fantasy about him taking her on the hood of his car—like Stephanie Seymore in all those music videos..." She paused. "And no offense, you're no Axl, Edward, but those jeans aren't hurting you by any means."

This conversation was just getting too creepy. First she compliments my looks (a SURE way to stroke my ego and get something you want from me), and then it seems like she's trying to set me up with Bella.

Cullen, try not to freak out. This is a total coincidence. No one knows that Bella's hands and mouth were all over your dick a few hours ago.

Right.

I couldn't even say anything in response to Rosalie I was in such shock. My shock quickly turned to horror. My jaw dropped as Bella and Alice walked into the apartment, giggling about something ridiculous, I'm sure.

Alice skipped over to me in her ridiculous 80s neon colored athletic apparel, took a long sip of my beer, and then looked at me with her huge innocent eyes.

"Doesn't Bella look INCREDIBLE, Edward?" Alice gushed. "I truly think she was made to live in the 80s, right? …PS, those jeans look awesome on you big brother. I knew they would." She winked and smacked my ass lightly as I jumped away in disgust.

"Alice, keep your hands to yourself," I hissed under my breath.

Alice giggled in delight and returned to Bella, spinning her in circles. Bella stumbled slightly, but Alice kept her upright somehow.

I'm telling you, that little girl is stronger than she looks.

My breath caught as Bella exploded into laughter, and I had to return my gaze to her ridiculously hot body.

"Alice!" Bella chuckled, "You're already making me wear heels tonight—the least you could do is help keep me upright!"

I took a moment to sweep her body from heels to head. And damn…did I have plans for us later. It was taking all the effort in my body to keep my hands at my sides and my feet firmly planted on the ground.

Bella was wearing an 80s prom dress that she and Alice had found at a vintage store. I knew this. However, I was NOT prepared for the hotness that is Bella Swan. She had been naked and writhing underneath me hours earlier, and I was still taken by surprise. The dress had a black corseted top that dipped into a "sweetheart neckline" (shhh, I listen to Alice when she talks, okay?) and gave Bella AMPLE cleavage. Seriously, she was one deep breath away from fucking flashing everyone in the room. Not that I was opposed to flashing…just, I didn't want anyone else around when that shit went down. The skirt wasn't much better. It was 80s-tastic: metallic silver, poofed out, and miniscule. It seriously ended at the top of her thighs…I was surprised I couldn't see her underwear from where I was standing. Her legs seemed to go on for years, ending in hot black heels that were screaming out, "EDWARD, FUCK ME!"

All in all, I was totally and utterly fucked. It was going to take 500% increased willpower to make it to the venue without touching her incredibly inappropriately…and publicly. I was not sure if I should say something, but I really didn't want anyone else staring at MY girl when she was looking so damn hot.

Lucky for me, Emmett jumped off of the couch in shock.

"Bella, you can NOT wear that on stage!"

"What? Why? Does it look bad?" Bella asked, confused.

"I…you…uh…" Emmett struggled, clearly grappling with what to say. "No, you look great, Bella—maybe TOO great."

Bella blushed and smiled. So fucking cute. "Thanks, Em."

Just then, Jasper knocked loudly at the door. Alice screeched the most appalling noise I'd ever heard, and I looked up at my best friend and burst into hysterical laughter. Only Jasper…

Jasper had taken the 80s theme to the extreme and pulled a Tom Cruise, Risky Business style. He was wearing a large button down shirt, tiny white boxers, and tall white socks…and that was it.

"Jasper Whitlock, I told you to change before leaving the house!" Alice screamed.

Jasper smirked, "I did, baby. I put on some boxers, see…" he said as he lifted up the shirt to reveal more of the boxers. Alice simply crossed her arms and dragged Bella out of the apartment by the arm. She flashed me a small smile, and then they were gone. Jasper looked around the room.

"So, I guess I'm driving then, huh?" Jasper asked.

"You're a fucking embarrassment Jasper," I laughed, smacking him on the back of the head. Emmett and Rosalie grunted in agreement as we all piled into Jasper's car and headed into a night of what was sure to be mayhem.

I got to the bar only to find Bella and Alice taking shots of something terrible, I'm sure. Bella was completely oblivious to all the creepy looking guys who couldn't help but admire her banging body.

Shit, son—you're going to tap that later tonight.

Are you, though? Are you sure you want to just jump into screwing Bella, or do you want to do it right? Pacing yourself is fine…she's not going anywhere.

Just then, some random college kid grazed Bella's ass, and I couldn't stand by and watch anymore. I positioned myself in between Alice and Bella with one hand on each of their backs as they finished their shot, sniffing the air, attempting to figure out what they were throwing back as easily as water.

"Evening, ladies…what are you drinking?"

"Screaming orgasm," Alice smiled. "Bella said she was in desperate need of one."

Bella snorted loudly, causing me to chuckle quietly. "Yeah, okay, Alice—I'm going to go get ready…see you on stage, Edward?" she winked.

She fucking winked in front of Alice. Does she know the definition of secret? Oh…Bella was going to get it later.

"Actually, why don't I just come with you now—" I started. I had many plans for Bella, and there were so many dark corners to this bar…

Just as I was stepping away from the bar, I was stopped by a death grip. "Edward, I really need to talk to you," Alice said, eyes wide. I couldn't say no to my baby sister. God, it was those eyes…I hadn't realized how much I had actually missed her over the past few weeks. Shrugging at Bella, I turned back to Alice.

"Okay, what's up?"

"I wondered if you knew what was going on with Bella?" Alice asked.

Huh, that could have many interesting answers. I decided to go with the safest one.

"You mean all the stuff with Jake?" I asked nonchalantly.

"Yeah. Edward, I was there. I heard what he said, and it was wrong—"

"You don't have to tell me, Alice. Trust me, I know."

"I know you know, Edward…that's why I'm talking to you," Alice huffed, clearly frustrated with me.

"Okay, fine, Alice—you clearly have something you want to tell me. For real. Just spit it out."

"Well, Bella doesn't know, but I watched her walk out of the apartment last night. She looked so upset, so I didn't say anything, but Edward…she didn't come back until this afternoon. I was so worried about her! And when she came back, she was on like cloud nine, just skipping through life, you know? She was even excited about me dressing her up for tonight, and we all know that Bella DOESN'T believe in that." I nodded in agreement. "Well, I was just wondering if you knew what the drastic change was about? I mean, her best friend stepped out on her, and yet she seems completely fine today. I wanted to make sure that she was being taken care of and not just forgetting about it. Although, I'm sure drinks would help her out right now—"

Wow. Alice was a better friend to Bella than I gave credit to her for. My heart swelled with appreciation and love for my baby sister, who obviously cared almost as much for Bella as I did.

I wrapped my arm around Alice's shoulder and smiled. "Alice, you're a great friend to Bella. But you shouldn't worry so much. She's dealing with things her own way…"

Yeah, dealing in a really dirty way. Getting naked in your bed, blowing you in your shower…yum.

Just then my phone vibrated in my pocket. I took it out, wondering who could possibly be texting me right now, when everyone in my circle of friends was currently at the same location as me.

I flipped my phone open and attempted to keep my face expressionless as I read a text from Bella.

**5 mins until the set starts. Ready to play? Come find me ;)**

Nice, Bella. Really nice. Cause blue balls even before we get out on stage. Point 1 goes to Swan.

"Shit, I've gotta run Alice," I said, hugging her tightly. She nodded and cocked her head to the side slightly, like she was trying to figure me out.

Good luck, Alice. _I _can't even figure me out.

Backstage, Emmett and Jasper were going over the set list again, but Bella was nowhere to be found. Damn it—why did this bar have to be so damn dark? You'd think that I'd be able to find her glowing silver skirt anywhere, but, alas, Bella was good at hiding. Good thing my jeans were so tight, otherwise my…problem…would be HELLA noticeable.

Three minutes later, Bella appeared from nowhere, gliding past me, only touching me slightly. God, this was so hot. I was going to spontaneously combust at the rate we were going, and the night had barely begun.

Fuck that. I was going to give it my best. The next point was DEFINITELY going to me.

BPOV

Torturing Edward was more fun than I had originally anticipated. His face as he had seen my dress for the first time tonight was enough to give me permanent butterflies. It also helped that his eyes were almost completely attached to my chest (yay, corsets and push up bras!). And as if it wasn't enough of an ego boost to realize that Edward ACTUALLY wanted me, brushing up against his erection just became an added bonus. Not like I could stay away from him either, of course.

Fuck, did those jeans look good. Mm, mm.

I had told Alice and Rosalie at lunch last week about my Axl Rose fantasy, and seeing Edward all acid wash jean-ed out was enough to make me cream my panties. I was scouring backstage to find a place where we could be alone…ANYWHERE! I was feeling so desperate for his touch that I couldn't help but try and get him to come find me, literally minutes before going on stage. Unfortunately, he was detained by Alice and then I had to shift further away from Emmett and Jasper…And then it was time to head on stage.

His hand ghosted the side of my chest as he walked past me on stage, and my knees almost gave out.

Well, shit, Edward. If that's how we're going to play it…this set list gives me a distinct advantage.

EPOV

I was feeling pretty smug with myself as Bella faltered as I walked by her on stage. But when she picked up the mic for our first song, I knew I was in for a LONG night.

My head was so clouded with thoughts of getting Bella alone, that I could really only truly remember the moments of the set where something momentous happened.

**Joan Jett – Do You Wanna Touch**

Not the most obvious song to start off our set with, but Bella had professed her love for Joan Jett, and I professed my disdain for the overuse of "I Love Rock N Roll." This song was our "compromise." Yeah, compromise my ASS. I'm pretty positive Bella chose it with the intention of getting me as fucking hard as possible in a public space.

Okay, that can't actually be true because you hadn't even kissed until last night, and this song was chosen at least a week ago…

Yeah, well…OUCH, I'm hard, so I have to blame someone, okay?

_Every girl and boy needs a little joy_

_All you do is sit and stare_

_Begging on my knees, baby, wont you please_

_Run your fingers through my hair_

Bella ran her hands up and down the mic's base as she continued to sing out the lyrics. Her mouth was so close to the microphone, and I swear if I didn't adjust myself soon, there would be permanent damage to my cock.

_My, my, my, whiskey and rye_

_Don't it make you feel so fine_

_Right or wrong, don't it turn you on_

_Cant you see were wasting time, yeah_

_Do you wanna touch, do you wanna touch, do you wanna touch me there…where?_

I almost fumbled the chords thinking about all the places I was going to touch Bella later tonight. Bella was right—I couldn't believe how much time we wasted playing our little "friend" game. Glad that was over.

**Pat Benetar – Heartbreaker**

_You're the right kind of sinner, to release my inner fantasy_

_The invincible winner, and you know that you were born to be_

_You're a heartbreaker, dream maker, love taker_

_Don't you mess around with me!_

Bella stared straight at me, singing the bridge. I tried to maintain an emotionless mask, but I couldn't help but gulp. Right kind of sinner? Heartbreaker? Shit, man. I was done messing around. Seriously, if she thought I was even capable of messing around with her, she had another thing coming. I knew it was soon as FUCK, but I wasn't going to waste another day without Bella…ever. When the time was right—which could potentially be tonight, I was going to tell her that I loved her.

Wait, what?

Yup. Love. It's coming; brace yourself, Cullen. Something very new and exciting. Be prepared.

Gulp.

**Madonna – Like A Virgin**

Bella insisted on this one. She said that if Alice was going to dress her up like Madonna, the least we could do was add her favorite song to our set. I tried to fight it…because I honestly didn't think I could handle Bella singing about sex without thinking about sex with Bella, and….oh, I was right.

_Gonna give you all my love, boy_

_My fear is fading fast_

_Been saving it all for you cause only love can last_

In reality, I knew that Bella hadn't saved anything for me…but, still…the mind wanders.

Sex.

Sex with Bella.

Sex with Bella for the first time. …tonight?

Stop staring at her chest, Edward! People can see you.

Yeah, but they're staring at her chest, too.

(rolls eyes) Way to justify that, buddy.

**Eddie Money – Take Me Home Tonight**

My turn, baby.

_I can feel you breathe_

_I can feel your heartbeat faster._

_Take me home tonight!_

Ironic? Probably. But in all seriousness, it was going to happen, and I couldn't fucking wait. I could actually see Bella's chest heaving as she took deep breaths on stage. Not to mention she leaned over, giving EVERYONE a show as she sang out, _Be my little baby…_

Yeah, I'm going to be honest…I'm not going to fight that one. Since staying away from Bella was something that I no longer needed to do, I was going to utilize our alone time together as much as possible.

BPOV

The set was absolutely amazing. The crowd loved every song, and I finally got to add Bon Jovi to the set. Take that, Edward. Singing "You Give Love A Bad Name" was…stimulating. And then when he sang "Paradise City" …God, I was dying. By that point, my 80s Edward fantasies were so out of control that I was pretty much dripping with excitement in anticipation of our post-concert activities.

I looked out onto the dance floor and saw Rosalie and Emmett breaking it down on the dance floor. Emmett was currently attempting the moonwalk, and Rosalie was trying not to laugh at how ridiculous he looked moon-walking in a pink polo shirt. I couldn't help but laugh along from my perch backstage.

Just then, I felt two distinctly warm hands run from my hips to my thighs and under my skirt. I tried REALLY hard not to make a noise, but I couldn't help it. I moaned slightly as my head rolled to the side and my hair was brushed over my shoulder.

"Such a bad girl, Bella," Edward whispered. I shivered in response. "Teasing me all night long…it's just not nice." I smiled uncontrollably as he placed feather-light kisses behind my ear and down my neck.

I turned around and wrapped my arms around his waist, lowering my hands to sit slightly in his back jean pockets. "Oh, yeah?" I smiled. "How can I make it up to you?"

"Well, you could always fake sick and make Alice take us home early?" he joked.

Not a bad idea, Cullen. Not bad at all.

I grabbed his hand and pulled Edward out to the dance floor, searching in vain for Alice. It shouldn't have been too hard to find her—she looked like a life sized glow stick, however the four-foot devil was nowhere to be found. As I continued to search, Edward's hands continued to make their way up my skirt, and the need to find Alice was becoming more and more urgent.

Finally I spotted her and Jasper. Such a ridiculous couple. Jasper was sliding around the dance floor in his socks, and Alice was shaking her head in embarrassment. I turned to Edward.

"Look concerned." I approached Alice and made a face. "Alice, I'm not feeling too well…would you mind terribly if you took me home?"

Alice looked to Edward, then to Jasper, and then back to me, concerned. "Here, think fast, Edward," Alice said as she threw the keys in front of Edward's face. "We'll all get a ride from Jasper. Feel better, Bella!" Alice called after us as we booked it out of the bar.

I felt a little guilty looking at Alice's concerned face. However, as Edward placed his hand on the small of my back, I remembered that my desire to get Edward naked and alone FAR outweighed any guilt.

I did not care what I said before. Tonight I was going to get Edward Cullen to sleep with me. And there would actually be little to no sleeping involved. I absolutely could not wait.

**Chapter End Notes: **

**You all know what's coming....let me know your thoughts, please!**


	15. Chapter 15

**AN: All right, here it is...the chapter that you've been waiting for.**

**A few notes, first.**

**Thank you to everyone who has been reviewing, especially the people who review for every chapter. Honestly, some of your reviews make me laugh and cry and do the happy dance all in one. **

**Lastly, this is my first lemon that I've ever written. I'm pretty sure it's the scariest thing I've ever had to write, and that's why it took me so long to post this chapter. Apologies, again. But, if you all could do me a HUGE favor and take the time to review, and honestly tell me whether it was okay or not...I'm kind of freaking out posting this.**

**Alright, here goes nothing.**

EPOV

The car ride back to my apartment seemed to last forever, despite the fact that I was driving 88 mph, Marty McFly style. I mean, if Alice was going to offer up her Porsche for my driving pleasure, why go the speed limit? I shifted ever so often in my seat to peer at Bella, who looked engrossed in thought as she stared out the window. The anticipation was killing me. I wanted to tell Bella that I loved her, but I honestly had no idea how to do that. I had never told a girl that I loved them, well…with the exception of my mom and Alice—and I really don't think that counts. It seemed pretty sleazy to say "I love you" right before sex, right? And…she had definitely implied that that's what we were doing tonight.

She did imply that, right?

Why are you reading so much into this? –why are you such a girl? When did this happen, and how do I make it stop?

I fidgeted in my seat for the tenth time, and Bella finally took notice. She put her hand on my knee, and I looked into her beautiful brown eyes. Somehow, the anticipation seemed to melt away as it became replaced with excitement.

"Are you okay?" she asked earnestly.

God, she was worried about me. That was just completely ridiculous. I don't think I'd ever been more excited for anything in my entire 24 years of living.

"I'm fine, Bel—just wishing that I could go faster than 90 without fear of being pulled over by the Seattle PD," I joked. She glanced over at the dashboard and saw that I actually was going around 90 mph and gasped loudly. I thought after a month of driving with me, she'd be used to it by now, but…apparently not. "What about you? How are you doing?" I asked, taking her mind off of how recklessly I was actually driving.

She bit her lip with a devilish look in her eye. Uh, oh—what's that look for? She took my right hand and slid it up her skirt, placing it on her—HOLY FUCKING SHIT THAT'S WET.

The car swerved slightly as I lost all coherent thought. Her panties were soaked. Honestly, I wouldn't be surprised if there was a puddle on her seat (I was now ever so grateful that it wasn't my precious Volvo).

Her head rolled back against the headrest as I pushed her panties to the side and pushed my fingers in slightly.

"I don't know, Edward, how am I doing?" Bella moaned.

HOTTEST. FUCKING. THING. EVER.

I couldn't help but smirk as Bella got progressively louder with each movement of my fingers. Until finally, I realized that we were already back at my apartment, and I had been teasing her for about five minutes straight. With regret, I pulled my fingers out. Bella looked at me, confused, for about a second until she realized where we were.

In less than 20 seconds, I had her pushed against the hood of the car. I knew that Emmett was spending the night with Rosalie, plus we had cut out HOURS earlier than everyone else, so we were not going to get interrupted. Thank fucking God.

Bella opened her mouth, and I wasted no time delving right in. After hours of being mercilessly teased, I wasn't going to let a single second of tonight go to waste. She sighed and pulled at my hair, trying to pull me down on top of her. I willingly obliged, leaning her down onto the hood of the Porsche as she wrapped her legs around my hips, pulling me even closer.

Wait, hold up a second. This isn't how it's supposed to go down. Bring it inside, kid.

Okay, break!

I took a large breath of air and pulled back slightly. I smiled at Bella's appearance as I took her in. Her hair was sprawled across the car, her face flushed, lips swollen, and her chest was nearly spilling out her dress with each heaving breath.

Seriously, is the dress super glued to her boobs? Cause, in all honesty, I wouldn't mind being flashed right now.

Right, there was actually a point to the stopping.

"Um, Bella? We should probably move this inside, don't you think?"

Bella looked around confused, like she hadn't realized that she was currently lying on the hood of a (albeit, very sexy) Porsche parked in my apartment parking lot.

"Oh, yeah," she smiled, blushing in her typical Bella way. Keeping her legs fastened around my waist, I hoisted Bella off of the car. She tucked her head into the crook of my neck and inhaled deeply. My hands longed to feel every inch of her body, but instead I had to fumble around trying to get the house keys out of my front pocket.

In an attempt to "help," Bella lifted her hips up slightly and reached down into my front pocket to "search for my keys." I had to grip onto her sides to keep us both upright.

Yeah, Bella—those aren't my keys. Fuck. Inside NOW!

I groaned loudly as she pulled the keys out.

"Found them!" Bella smiled, placing them in my hands. Her head went back to its previous location in my shoulder, only now she was placing open-mouthed kisses up my neck. God, my knees were going to give out in the near future.

"You're the God damned devil, Bella Swan," I mumbled as I finally got the door open. The lights were off in the apartment, and I didn't bother turning any of them on as I stumbled towards my bed.

We flopped down on the bed, laughing without abandon, and I realized that I was about to change my life forever. This angel (for some reason completely unbeknownst to me) actually wanted to be with me. She could see past the crazy siblings, the intense mood swings, and my past discretions. She didn't care, and I absolutely loved her for it.

This is real. This is actually happening.

You're going to tell her you love her before you do anything else.

Yes, time to slow this down. Make is memorable. After all, you ARE christening your bed.

I pulled back to stare at Bella in awe. Just then, she rolled out from under me. Completely bewildered by her actions, I looked up in time to see Bella's dress fall to the floor, revealing the sexiest black strapless bra and underwear I'd ever seen. I don't think I'd ever appreciated high heels in my life as much as this moment. People would kill to have a body like Bella's.

_Absolutely_, my cock agreed.

I gulped audibly and Bella laughed lightly coming towards the bed. She put her knees on either side of my lap and pulled my shirt over my head, throwing it to the ground next to her dress. I ran my hands up her thighs and sought out her lips with mine. Bella ground her hips into mine ever so slightly as she struggled to kick off her heels. I turned my head slightly, just to breath for a second, and Bella was in motion once again.

"You're wearing far too many clothes, Edward," Bella said as she kissed her way down my chest. I struggled to stop her, I really did.

Sure you did, buddy.

Stop that! It's hard to think about anything when Bella's mouth is heading towards my…

I looked down at Bella only to see that my pants and shoes were off all of a sudden. I couldn't help but run my fingers through Bella's hair. She did that purring thing again, and I knew that I needed to stop her in the near future, otherwise nothing of importance other than "Oh my God!" and "Yes!" were going to be said tonight.

Regaining my composure, I tried to figure out the best way to say everything I needed to before Bella made me lose any semblance of control.

BPOV

As I continued to kiss Edward, I could only think one thing.

_You're going to have sex with Edward. In his bed. You are the ONLY person who will be able to say that_.

I couldn't get Edward undressed fast enough. By this time, I was positively drenched. I'm sure he could feel it as I kissed down his bare chest and slid onto the floor. He seemed to be thinking about something really hard, and he even seemed slightly hesitant. I wondered for a second if I was being too forward and chanced a glance up.

His eyes, nearly forest green with desire reassured me that his hesitation had to be about something else…because there was no doubt as to whether Edward wanted me. I couldn't help but shiver at the intensity of his gaze. Suddenly I was pulled from my knees and back onto the bed. I crashed my mouth to his and tried to deepen the kiss, but Edward was resisting.

"Bella, wait…" he said, pushing my shoulders away from his.

Ouch.

Okay, maybe he doesn't want to do this.

Feeling completely embarrassed at his obvious rejection, I looked away from him and toward the floor, trying to figure out the best way to get my dress on and the hell out of there.

I blinked faster, trying to prevent the stream of tears stinging my eyes.

It just figures that after rejecting Jake, I would get rejected, too.

"Bella?" he questioned. I made no move toward him, so naturally he used his magical trick of putting his index finger right at the tip of my chin, and like a rooting reflex, I naturally turned my head towards his. His green eyes looked conflicted, as he tried to decipher my emotions. Just then, Edward pulled me back onto his lap, scooting backwards, making more room for us.

His eyes turned dark once again, and I knew that whatever was going on with Edward, it wasn't a reflection of not desiring me. Plus, now situated on top of him, I could clearly feel his huge, erect penis. Longing for any kind of friction to quell the aching need I was feeling, I rubbed my hips over his in an attempt of SOME kind of reaction.

Seriously, minutes ago I had been pressed up against the hood of a Porsche and now it seemed like I was begging for sex.

You know what? I wasn't above begging for sex from my secret boyfriend. Hell, I'd waited through a month of foreplay, and I needed a real release ASAP stat!

Frustrated beyond belief, I dove in for another urgent kiss. Edward's resistance faltered as he kissed back with the same urgency, his hands slipping to cup the black lace boy shorts I was wearing.

He pulled back and groaned. "Bella, wait…"

Okay, I had had enough. My sexual frustration levels had reached an all time high, and the sluttiest man of all time was supposed to be at my sexual disposal. What in God's name was he waiting for?

"Wait for what, Edward?" I yelled. "A smoke signal? A green light?"

Edward struggled with his words for a second. "No…Bella, it's just that I don't want to—"

I interrupted him. I had no intention of letting him tell me he didn't want to sleep with me. FYI, apparently sexual frustration inhibits my verbal filter.

"You're not a Jonas Brother, Edward! Just fuck me already!" I huffed, crossing my arms, still perched on Edward's lap.

His jaw dropped, staring at me like a little lost boy. I knew he would be shocked by my outburst (I mean, I was, too), but I was hoping for SOME kind of response.

"Edward?" I tried.

He looked into my eyes, searching for something. "Bella, I don't want to just fuck you," he whispered.

"You don't want to—" I couldn't finish my sentence. If he didn't actually want to do this, I wasn't going to force him. I would take whatever he wanted to give me. I mean, all in all, this morning was fairly spectacular. I'm pretty sure I was glowing all day, in fact. I cleared my throat, "Never mind. It's okay. We can just go to sleep, it's fine."

I tried to roll of his lap, but Edward wasn't having any of that. He pinned my hips down to his, effectively bringing my sexually frustrated core in contact with his cock again.

God, was he trying to kill me? If so, he was VERY effective.

"Bella, stop," Edward began, running one of his hands through his disheveled hair. He looked a little stressed, and every inch of my body wanted to take that away. I leaned in and pressed a soft kiss to his lips. I could feel him smile against my lips as his hand made its way from his hair back to my waist.

I slid my hands up his neck and into his hair, scratching his scalp lightly. He sighed into my mouth and tentatively reached his tongue to touch mine. Note to self, Edward really enjoys having hands in his hair. Okay, this was good.

Pressing his lips softly to mine once more, Edward pulled back slowly.

"I love you, Bella," he said, shocking the hell out of me. My heart stopped for a second and then began racing at a speed I didn't know it was capable of. It was the best feeling in the entire world. I literally felt like my heart was going to crack a rib at the rate it was currently beating.

I began to respond, but he interrupted me, continuing on. "I know we haven't known one another for that long. But, I'm pretty sure you know more about me than anyone else. And, believe me, I realize how INCREDIBLY cheesy it sounds to say that before I plan on…" he paused, "…and you don't need to say it back, either. It's just, I wanted you to know that it won't be just fucking you because I could NEVER just fuck you. I…I love you."

Edward let out a huge breath, and I could feel him trembling slightly in my arms. There was no need for him to be nervous. Even in all my years with Jake, he had never come close to making me feel as loved and wanted as I did in that very second. I knew without a doubt that I wanted him to know how I felt.

"Edward, I love you, too," I replied confidently. "So much," I added in a hushed whisper.

Edward's eyes darkened again, and the hesitation that was there previously was completely gone. I whimpered with need, and Edward finally got the idea.

Goosebumps broke out on my body as he easily lifted me from my spot on his lap to underneath him, looking into his gorgeous, passion filled eyes. He leaned in to kiss my neck, and I shivered again as his tongue lapped at my skin, which was blazing under his expert touch.

"God, Bella, you have no idea how long I've wanted this," Edward said between kisses, blowing his hot breath over my neck and chest. Unable to control myself anymore, I unhooked my bra and threw it to the ground. I moaned loudly as I pulled Edward to my mouth, crushing our bare chests together.

"I think I have a clue," I said as I pushed his boxers to the ground, freeing his cock.

God, I forgot how big it was. It had been merely hours since it had been in my hands and mouth and I was now getting nervous at the thought of him inside me.

His hands were on my panties seconds later, pulling them off. He balled them into his fist, and my juices ran over his knuckles.

"Jesus, Bella." He looked at his hand with awe. Then in a flurry of motion, Edward threw the panties onto the floor and crashed his mouth to one of my breasts, leaving his other hand to slip up my thigh and into my dripping core.

We were definitely going to have to change the sheets again.

Edward had barely begun to circle his finger around my throbbing clit when pleasure overtook me and I clamped down on his finger.

"Gah! Fuck!" I screamed.

Edward looked up surprised at how fast I had come. If I weren't enjoying myself so much, I'd be a little embarrassed. Propping myself up slightly, I tilted Edward's head up to meet mine.

"Edward, we've had about a month of foreplay. Where are your condoms?" I breathed heavily, still coming down from my orgasm.

He smiled and reached into his bedside table, ripping open the package quickly. He rolled it on himself in one fluid motion, and I thought I was going to come again at how fucking desirable he looked touching himself.

He positioned himself over me, brushing against my entrance. We both groaned at the small amount of contact.

"You sure?" Edward smiled.

"Of course I'm sure," I replied impatiently, rocking my hips slightly.

"Edward," I tried to whine, but it came out as more of a breathy moan.

Finally, he pushed into me slowly as his lips came down to mine with a tender kiss. I moaned at the sensation of being completely filled. I was right; he WAS huge. He stayed still for a second, still kissing me, letting me get used to him.

"Mm, Bella," he hummed against my lips. He pulled out slightly and thrust back in slowly. It was torturous. Again and again he thrust so slowly. It was like sweet, sweet torture. I needed him deeper and faster. Now. However Edward seemed content at the pace he had set.

Leave it to Edward to be a tease DURING sex.

I lifted one of my legs and wrapped it around Edward, pushing him in at a better angle. I clenched around him slightly as he hit the perfect spot.

"Faster, Edward, please…"

"Oh, God," he breathed as he finally picked up his pace. He put my other leg around his waist, and pulled my hips to his. The angle was even better, and I couldn't help but moan loudly.

I was so close to the edge, and I could tell that Edward was, too. His jaw clenched, and I could see beads of sweat forming at his brow. He was trying so hard to make this moment last for as long as possible, but he was closer than I was.

Staring into my eyes Edward whispered, "Come for me, Bella." He moved one of his hands to rub small circles on my clit, and I swear I almost blacked out because of the pleasure.

Our climax ripped through us simultaneously.

"Edward!" I screamed, riding out my orgasm.

"Bella!" Edward grunted, still thrusting as he twitched inside of me.

I had never felt so content in my entire life.

EPOV

Finally, I collapsed on top of Bella in a sweaty mess. I knew that I had exercised every ounce of self control I'd ever had by holding out for Bella to come again. I had been ready to blow almost right away, so I had to slow down to a torturous pace to make sure our first time would last longer than a minute.

It had.

Nearly an hour later, I was completely spent. I pressed my ear to Bella's chest as she pushed my hair out of my eyes. It was such a loving gesture.

I, Edward Anthony Masen Cullen, had made love.

For the first time.

I could feel the haze of sleep pulling at me, and I realized that I was still inside Bella. Before I could get hard again, I pulled out of her. Bella groaned at the loss of contact, and I could feel it, too. I quickly disposed of the condom (in the toilet like a normal person, Emmet), and returned to my spot on Bella's chest. She ran her fingers through my hair, and I nearly purred back at the sensation. I had never felt more content or relaxed.

Just then, Bella's phone went off.

_Popular, you're gonna be popular!_

_I'll teach you the proper poise when you talk to boys_

_Little ways to flirt and flounce, ooh!_

_I'll show you what shoes to wear, how to fix your hair!_

_Everything that really counts to be...popular_!

I listened to the song with interest as Bella groaned something that sounded like, "Alice…" and got up to grab the phone.

"Hey, Alice," Bella began, putting on one of my shirts over her head. "Yeah, I'm doing okay…thanks for checking…it was really unnecessary, though…yes, Edward took very good care of me." Bella blushed as I winked at her. She rolled her eyes as she put a pair of underwear on. I frowned at that.

Why in God's name would she think it's appropriate to put underwear on?

"Yeah, we're at his apartment…What?" Bella gasped, clearly startled by something Alice had said. "Why? There's just no need…um, yeah, okay…thanks for calling again, Alice. Yup…okay, bye!"

Bella's eyes snapped to mine. "Get up and put some clothes on now. Emmett will be home any second!"

"What, why?" I whined. Leave it to Emmett to disrupt my plans, per usual.

"He was concerned that we cut out so early in the evening, and so Alice told him that I wasn't feeling well and decided to go home. He wants to check and see how I'm feeling. She just called to confirm I was here and not at our apartment. So, clothes, now!" Bella hissed as she threw me a t-shirt and a pair of my boxers from my drawers.

I put on the clothes and flopped back down onto the bed. It smelled like Bella. Then I remembered something…Alice's ringtone.

"Hey, Bel—what was Alice's new ringtone?" I asked.

"It's a song called "Popular" from the musical, _Wicked_," she replied. I forgot that Bella was a musical theater person.

"So, I know that Alice now has a personalized ringtone and so does Jake…do I?" I asked nervously.

Bella flushed.

"What?" I asked. "Please—I want to know what it is!"

She sighed and picked up my phone to dial hers.

"I…I just changed it this morning," she said uncomfortably.

Okay, the song can't be that embarrassing, can it? All of a sudden a song I think I'd tried to repress came out of her phone as she blushed uncontrollably again.

_If you want it to be good girl, get yourself a bad boy_

_If you really want it good girl, get yourself a bad boy_

_Get it like it could be, would be, yeah like it should be_

_If you want it to be good girl, get yourself a bad boy_

"Backstreet Boys, really? What's with the boy band fetish?" I laughed. "Speaking of which, have you listened to Jake's message yet?" I tried to add nonchalantly. It didn't work, and Bella looked annoyed. I tried to smile, but I ended up yawning loudly instead.

Bella laughed as she put on a pair of pajama pants. "Tired, kitten?" she said, steering the conversation away from Jake.

"Kitten?" I replied in mock horror. "I think I need a MUCH manlier pet name than that, Bel."

She shook her head. "It was either that or bunny. Your pick."

I closed my eyes, drowning in fatigue. "Well, if I really had to choose, I prefer bunny…but let's work on that, mmkay?" I slurred.

"Of course, bunny," she tried out.

It actually wasn't so bad.

And I was officially 100% whipped. Nice, Cullen.

"Get some sleep," she continued. "I'll make some tea and wait for Emmett."

"K…I love you," I mumbled, and soon I was drifting off to an overwhelmingly satisfying slumber.

BPOV

I kissed Edward's lips lightly before heading out to the kitchen to make myself some tea, taking my phone with me. No sense in waking Edward if Alice decided to check in again.

I had just sat down at the table with my mug when Emmett barreled in. He still looked completely ridiculous in his pink polo, with the collar popped, of course.

"Hey, Bella, how are you feeling?" he asked.

"Okay," I lied. I was amazing. I don't think there were words in the dictionary to describe my current state of elation, but somehow I thought that Emmett wouldn't necessarily appreciate that fact.

"Do you need anything?"

I shook my head. "No, I think I'm just going to sit and watch some tv for a while, but thanks, Em."

"No problem—just take care of yourself, okay? You still look a little flushed. Do you think you have a fever?"

I blushed, thinking of why exactly I was looking a little flushed. Do you think Emmett would mind hearing about the mind blowing, life changing orgasm his little brother gave me? "Uh, maybe. I'll go grab the thermometer and check in a little bit," I said.

Emmett looked wary, but still decided that my answer was good enough. He gave me a light hug and headed back into his room.

Still sipping on my tea, I decided it was finally time to listen to Jake's message. I know that Edward thought he was being all smooth mentioning him, but…he wasn't. And Jake would continue to be an unresolved dark spot until I acknowledged what had happened with him.

_You have one new voicemail_, my phone stated in my ear. Listening closely, Jake's message began.

"_Uh, hey, Bells. Sorry that it took so long to call you. I should have called when I got home last night, but I was too much of a stubborn ass to realize that I was being stupid. So, yeah, uh…I'm really sorry about how everything played out. I shouldn't have said…those things. But, it would have been really nice to have a heads up about Edward, too. Just…okay, try not to be mad at me for the rest of your life, okay? I know how you hold grudges…but I think we should probably take a break from talking for at least a little while. Obviously, if you still want to come home for Thanksgiving, Billy and I would be more than happy to have you—but maybe that's when we can regroup, you know? Take a month breather? That's sounds all right, right? Or maybe not…is Thanksgiving too soon? Do you even want to come? I don't know…Okay, and now I'm just rambling. Shit, Bella. I'm so fucking sorry. I love you. K. Bye."_

I sat there, staring at the phone in my hand, which had now dropped to the table. Had Jake and I just had a friend breakup? He didn't want to talk to me at all? I wasn't sure if I was ready for him to be completely out of my life, despite the fact that he was such an ass.

Overwhelmed by emotions, I broke down into tears. Suddenly I was scooped up by two large arms and placed on the couch. One hand stroked my hair and the other smoothed out my back as I continued to sob into a very large shoulder.

I pulled back and was greeted with Emmett's very concerned face. "Do you want to talk about it, Bella?" he asked tentatively.

I debated whether I should talk to Emmett about this at all. Edward would only be hurt by Jake's blatant dismissal of our friendship, so I decided that maybe Emmett's offer would actually help. I nodded slightly.

"I think Jake just disinvited me from Thanksgiving dinner," I began.

"Well, that's not a problem, Bella," Emmett smiled, "because my mom called Edward last week and asked him to invite you to Chicago with us."

"She did what?" I gasped.

"Don't look so surprised, Bella. My mom is a planner…where do you think Alice got it from? And she's heard so much about you from all three of us, I'm sure. And, yeah, Edward was asking when he should ask you. I think he was afraid it would be too early to ask you a month in advance, but I disagree. I have to let my mom know that she has to buy an extra plane ticket…cause, you're going to come, right?"

Huh. Thanksgiving with the Cullen family. I hadn't even thought of that as a possibility. But, it could definitely be interesting…sex with Edward in his childhood bed? Yes please.

I smiled at Emmett. "Thanks, Em. That's incredibly sweet of her. Please let your mom know that I would love to come," I said, my breathing finally evening out.

Emmett looked thoughtful for a second. "Hey, Bella? I know that you're usually most comfortable going to Edward or whatever, but…just know that I'm here, too. You're a part of my family now, and I love you," he said as he squeezed my shoulder.

I laughed. Both Cullen brothers had told me they loved me tonight. Albeit, they meant it completely differently, but it was nice to hear none the less.

"Thanks, Emmett. I really appreciate that. And, I love you, too," I winked, getting up off the couch.

"Good night, Bella," Emmett called as I made my way back into Edward's room. Snuggling under the covers, Edward reached out for me in his sleep. I snuggled into his chest, and he placed a kiss on the top of my shoulder and wrapped his arms around my waist, still sleeping.

I sighed happily as I drifted off into sleep with thoughts of a new family Thanksgiving and the overwhelming sense of contentment and love I felt in Edward's arms.

**Chapter End Notes: **

**Please, all you lurkers out there...just drop me a line. It'd be nice to hear whether you think I can do lemons or not...please, squash my fears!**


	16. Chapter 16

**AN: Oh my freaking God, people. You're awesome. You can't imagine how encouraging your words were. So, to thank you all for you outburst of support.**

**Because of all of your kind words and motivation, I finished this chapter in one day, AND...wait for it...included TWO lemons. Yes, you read that right.**

**I'm pretty sure you guys are the best readers in the entire universe. Don't forget to review again...I know it's silly, but I didn't realize how much they actually inspire me to write. This chapter didn't want to end. 16 pages later, I was finally able to wrap it up.**

**This chapter is dedicated 100% to my bestie, kaystu, who's AWESOME sex dream inspired it ;) Sorry that I've replaced Spike with Edward...but...I like him better, so...**

**Onwards. Enjoy :)**

EPOV

I awoke incredibly early the next morning. I mean, I had fallen asleep at a ridiculously early hour, so it was expected. What wasn't expected (but should have been) was the fact that Bella had somehow shifted towards me in her sleep, our legs completely intertwined as she writhed, sighing, "Edward," again and again. Yup, I was up in more ways than one, that's for sure.

It was barely even 7 AM, and I figured that she'd probably be pissed off if I attempted to wake her up just to help me get rid of my morning wood.

Hah, that'd be funny.

Hey, baby, would you mind waking up and putting your mouth and/or hands on my dick? No? Awesome.

Yeah, somehow I don't think it'd go down like that. I painfully extracted myself from her arms and made my way to the shower, looking at my hand sadly.

Looks like you only got a day off. Sorry, buddy.

I got off in the shower after only a few seconds of thinking of my night with Bella. I had a plethora of new memories to work with…her hot skin against mine, completely immersed in her hot, wet…FUCK, I'm hard again.

Toweling myself off, I realized it was still only barely 8 AM. I guess showers take longer when Bella can join me (sad face). Well, shit. What am I supposed to do for another two hours? Bella once told me that I could wake her up at 10, so…that was the plan.

I kissed Bella's sleeping face as her body tangled up with my blankets. She was still moaning, so I decided to close my bedroom door and keep myself preoccupied on my computer for the next two hours.

Luckily, I didn't have to wait long until I received a call from Alice.

"Yes?" I answered.

"Well good morning to you, too, Edward," Alice chirped loudly.

"Sorry, Alice. Good morning. How are you doing this lovely morning at 8:30, and may I ask why you're calling at such an ungodly hour? I could have been asleep, you know," I retorted.

"Yeah, I know, but you're not. Yay!" Alice cheered. I laughed. Only Alice. "So, I was calling to check on Bella. I figured I shouldn't call her in case she was still sleeping."

"She's still sleeping, Alice. But I'm sure she'll be feeling better today. Thanks for checking in, though." I said sincerely. I loved that Alice cared about Bella, despite the fact that we had both lied about her not feeling well.

"Anyway, I wanted to let you know that practice is going to be canceled today to give Bella more time to feel better."

"Thanks, Alice, that's really nice of Jasper and Emmett to tell me that themselves," I scoffed. Did Emmett not live down the hall? Did Alice really have to call in order to inform me that my own band wasn't practicing today? Preposterous.

"Oh, get over yourself, Edward. I was calling to say that if Bella's feeling better today, I wanted us all to go out to lunch. It's been a while since we've all spent time with one another. Jasper misses Bella, and I miss you and Emmett, so…do you think that could be a possibility? Also, then we can switch cars. I miss my baby. How'd she do? There better not be a scratch on her, Edward!" Alice ranted.

"You mean I wasn't supposed to crash it?" I chuckled as Alice screamed from the other line. "Oh, calm down, Alice. It was a joke. Of course your car is fine. And, yes, I think lunch is a great idea. Where are we going?"

"Should we let Bella decide? I mean, she's the one dealing with stuff right now. I know when I'm sad I lock myself up and only eat Cooler Ranch Doritos."

"Bella's not sad, Alice. She just wasn't feeling well. And we should definitely go to the diner. I know Bella likes their hash browns when she's upset."

"Perfect," Alice practically purred. Something weird was going on with her recently, and I was going to find out what it was. Alice doesn't call me at 8:30 in the morning, no matter what, and Alice doesn't agree to go to the diner without a fight. Like I said…weird.

By the time we hung up with each other, I only had about 45 minutes until I was allowed to wake up Bella. To kill time, I went back to my computer and decided to make a few new playlists on itunes. I snickered at the playlist I knew I was going to make first. Yes, that could DEFINITELY use up some time.

By 9:56, I couldn't wait any more. I looked down the hall, noticing that Emmett's door was still closed. I was so fucking tired last night that I hadn't even heard him come in, but I assumed that he hadn't left in the middle of the night, so we had to be careful.

Turning around, I closed my own door. Bella was still tangled in my bedspread, but now she was entirely on my side of the bed. I wished she were naked.

"Hm, is that so?" Bella said hoarsely as she rolled over to face me.

Shit, had I said that out loud?

Bella giggled and sat up straight. "Yes, Edward. I can hear you when you speak out loud."

I ran my hands through my hair, attempting to think of something amazing to say, but I was coming up blank. Bella rolled out of bed, looking gorgeous, as she always does and started taking off her clothes.

I'm pretty sure I would never get used to the sight of Bella naked. Ever. My cock suddenly sprang to attention…for the third time that morning, and Bella laughed as she approached me.

Her hands grabbed the hem of my shirt and pulled it over my head. My head rolled back in pleasure as Bella pulled down my boxers, brushing lightly against my dick, and I moaned slightly.

"I love you," I said, making sure she knew that last night was not a fluke.

"Shh," Bella whispered, placing her soft lips on mine. "Emmett is still sleeping. We wouldn't want to wake him, right?"

I nodded and reattached my lips to hers. Sweet fucking Christ. I get to do this all the time whenever I want.

Well, not whenever you want. Not in front of anyone else.

…yeah, for now.

I began guiding her back towards the bed, but Bella shook her head and said, "Shower?"

"Shower has good acoustics, Bella…I challenge you to be completely silent," I laughed. Bella LOVED our challenges.

"Challenge accepted," she said as she reached into my bedside table and grabbed a condom.

"Really? Just one, Bel?" She rolled her eyes and smacked the back of my head as she walked into the bathroom.

As I locked the door behind us, Bella jumped into the shower, placing the condom on the shower ledge where she had expertly fellated me…Ah, high-quality memories.

Bella was completely immersed in the shower, and I took a moment to stare at her body as the water cascaded over her face and onto her breasts. Bella's body was absolutely perfect for me. Every curve of her body molded to mine like it was tailor made for me. And when I was inside her last night…nothing had ever fit together like that before. Nothing.

Smiling with excitement, I took a step towards the shower.

BPOV

I closed my eyes and let the warm water caress my skin. I wasn't looking at him, but I knew that he was looking at me. My breasts _certainly_ knew as they hardened under his heated gaze. I was getting wet and he hadn't touched me yet. In fact, he was still outside the shower.

Even with my eyes closed, I could feel him getting closer. I knew that keeping silent was going to be nearly impossible, but I was looking forward to trying.

A slight chill ran through the shower as he opened the door, and my nipples hardened further. Within seconds, I could feel him behind me. His arms wrapped around my waist as his mouth came down to suck on my shoulder. One of his hands moved up to massage my breast, while the other trailed down my stomach and into my aching core, and I felt a surge of wetness that had NOTHING to do with the water from our shower.

I lifted my arms behind me to move his head from my shoulder to my mouth to stifle the moan I was sure to release any second now.

Edward Cullen is about to do me in his shower. Talk about a fantasy coming true.

I had spent the past month fantasizing about places where Edward and I could have sex…and now I could finally put the list to good use. His bed was number one, but the shower came in at a VERY close second. ...then was the Volvo, then backstage…the list goes on and on.

Edward sucked lightly on my tongue, and I'm sure he was doing everything in his power to try and get me to say SOMETHING to lose the challenge, but I wasn't going to have any of that. I fought back with a vengeance.

As he continued his ministrations on my breast and the circles he was rubbing onto my clit got harder, I grabbed him and started stroking his at the same rhythm he was using on me. I could hear his breathing get harder, but he still refused to make a sound. I swirled the pre-cum around the head of his penis, relishing in the raspy breaths he was releasing.

Oh, Edward. You needn't try so hard to control yourself.

Just when I was feeling particularly smug about almost making him crack, Edward pulled at my nipple HARD and pinched my clit.

My intense orgasm took me by surprise, and although I tried with all I had to control my volume, a single squeak was released into the room. I heard Edward chuckle from behind me, and I knew that he had succeeded in making me lose the challenge. No fair. Edward was too good at everything.

He leaned into my ear and whispered, "Are you ready for your punishment?" I shuddered. Yes, please. I could hear him tearing open the condom package, and I ached with anticipation. "Remember to still be quiet, though," he whispered, kissing the sensitive spot behind my ear, and I nodded wordlessly.

Suddenly, I was pressed up against the cold tiles of the shower, face first. Edward grabbed my wrists and placed them over my head. Fuck, it just got hot in here.

Edward used his other hand to trail down my side slowly. He took it away, and I instantly missed his touch. Without a moment's notice, he entered me quickly from behind. I was so surprised that I squeaked again, and he had to shush me.

My breasts slipped against the tile as he shoved into me again and again. His thrusts were long and deep, and I was pretty sure that being taken from behind just became my new favorite position. He panted in my ear loudly, and all I could hear was the splattering of the water on the tile and our mutual heavy breaths.

All of a sudden, he pulled out of me. I whimpered with the loss of him until he spun me around to face him and lifted me back onto his cock, now with my back pressed up against the tiles. Wrists still bound over my head, I wrapped my legs around his behind, pressing him further into me with each second, his emerald eyes staring into mine. I changed my mind. This just became my favorite position.

I could feel my climax building again. Edward's grasp on my wrists tightened, and I could sense that he was close, too.

I couldn't take the pressure any more and gave into the overwhelming tidal wave of my climax, biting down on Edward's shoulder to stifle any sounds I was bound to make. My climax spurred Edward's and I heard him groan, "fuck," softly in my ear.

He stood there for about a minute, Edward still sheathed inside me, and me still wrapped around his waist, as we struggled to breathe properly again. Edward looked into my eyes and chuckled.

"I'm pretty sure that was the best sex I've ever had," he whispered, my favorite crooked grin making an appearance on his beautiful face.

I leaned in to kiss him as I released my legs and slid off of him.

"Oh, yeah," I said, pressing kisses to Edward's wet chest. "What a punishment," I laughed. "I can't believe I just had shower sex…with 'Shower Sex' himself."

Edward's face contorted into one of embarrassment, and he broke out into the sweetest blush I had ever seen. Who knew that Edward was capable of blushing?

"Aw, don't be embarrassed, bunny." He frowned at my pet name. I was starting to grow a bit attached to it, I think. "I love you."

His frown disappeared immediately, and his eyes seemed to glow with love. Or maybe it was just the fluorescence of the bathroom lighting.

After drying off and getting dressed, Edward told me about our lunch plans with everyone. I'm not going to lie, I was more than disappointed that Edward and I weren't going to be able to spend the entire day just going at it.

Oh, well. This just leaves more time to think of more creative places to have sex. Oo, and positions, and things he could do to me, and…fuck, is it hot in here?

"Bella?"

"Hm?" Had Edward just said something?

"Did you hear what I just said?" he asked, clearly amused by my current blush.

"Do you want me to lie to you?"

Edward shook his head, laughing softly and wrapped his arms around my waist. My arms came up to take their natural place around his neck, and I lifted up on my tiptoes to kiss his jaw lightly.

"Bel, we just put clothes on, and I was just saying that we should probably wake up Emmett. It's nearly noon," he smirked, letting me continue to place my kisses on his face.

Frustrated, I pushed myself out of his arms and crossed my arms. "Fine," I huffed.

Edward simply laughed and put his arms around me again. "You are being so silly this morning, did you know that? Now…as I was saying, can I get a really good kiss before we wake up Emmett and deal with the rest of the world?"

Ugh, the Cullen pout. How can you say no to that face? You just can't. I leaned up and grasped his head in my hands, pulling his neck down to meet my face. He licked his lips slightly, and I followed the motion of his tongue, which naturally made think about how good he is at licking…things.

Gah, is this how guys feel all the time? Are they just in a perpetual state of horniness? I swear, the more of Edward I had, the more I wanted.

Our lips met again, and I felt it all the way down to my toes. It wasn't hot and heavy by any means, in fact, it was one of our tamer kisses, but I could still feel myself getting aroused AGAIN. I moaned slightly into his mouth, and Edward groaned and pulled away.

"Jesus, Bella, are you trying to kill me?" he asked, leaning his forehead on mine. "Now, let's wake up Emmett."

"Jesus, Edward," I retorted. "Aren't you tired of being your own cockblock?"

He leaned into my ear, chuckling lightly and whispered, "Don't worry, Bella. Next time you want to have sex with me, I promise I won't stop you."

With that, Edward turned around and smacked my ass, further igniting my desire for him. Oo, spanking. Another thing to add to the list. All I wanted to do was jump him right then and there, but I supposed that would have to wait...at least until after lunch. Sigh.

EPOV

Bella was right. I was giving myself a case of blue balls, and it hurt like a bitch. Lunch was going to have to be quick because then I was going to find a nice secluded place to be alone with her.

Waking Emmett was scarier than waking up a grizzly bear, though, so that got rid of my hard on pretty fast. Also, I should note that Emmett enjoys sleeping naked. Shudder. That was more of my brother than I EVER needed to see. And Bella just stood by the door and giggled like a schoolgirl. If I hadn't been inside her merely minutes earlier, I'd be worried about her checking out Emmett's naked, angry rising form, but…

I'm sorry, I just lost my train of thought thinking about being inside Bella.

After putting on clothes, Emmett agreed to leave a few minutes early to go pick up Rosalie from her garage, which left Bella and I alone again. I wanted to take advantage of the situation, but apparently Bella wanted to take a mini joyride in the Porsche before we had to return it to Alice. The Porsche was beautiful, and I couldn't wait to take her above 100 mph, so I didn't put up too much of a fight.

Plugging in my ipod, we began our ride. Bella picked it up, as she always does, and began scrolling through my playlists.

Oh…fucking shit. Your new playlist, dumbass. She's not an idiot, and now you're going to have to admit what a perv you are AGAIN to your girlfriend.

Bella looked up at me through her dark lashes with curiosity.

"Um, Edward?"

"Yeah?" I replied nonchalantly. Stay cool and calm. She won't ask.

"What's this new playlist?"

"Which playlist?" I asked. Play dumb, Cullen.

She held out the ipod for me to see the playlist clearly.

"Oh, THAT one," I began uncomfortably. "Those are just some songs I wanted to add to our set list, possibly. I was working on it this morning," I rambled on.

Bella looked at me and then back at the ipod, pressing play. The first on the playlist, "Everything In Its Right Place," by Radiohead came on. And my hard on was back. Yay.

Bella continued to scroll down the playlist and then started laughing. I chanced a glance at her, and Bella had begun to blush furiously. She looked at me curiously, and when our eyes met briefly, I turned away immediately.

"You want to add some of these songs to our set list, Edward?" she prodded further. By this time, my speed had managed to skyrocket to about 115 mph. Thank God for open roads by the outskirts of the city.

"Yes," I replied nervously.

Her mouth dropped as she called me out. "Really? You want to add ACDC's 'Girl's Got Rhythm,' Ludacris' 'I Wanna Lick You,' and Queen's 'Body Language' to our set?"

Okay, Cullen. She knows. Just…let her say her piece and move on, please.

"Would you believe me if I said yes again?"

"Nope," she laughed, scrolling further down the playlist. Then, Bella said something that shocked the hell out of me. I mean, it shouldn't have, really. By now, I should have learned that Bella is nothing if not unpredictable. "Do you think I could add some songs to the playlist?" Bella asked as she placed her hand on my knee.

I had to slow down the Porsche to 90 mph, otherwise I would have crashed the car right there, and I didn't particularly have a death wish.

"Uhh…s..sure," I stuttered. "What would you want to add?"

Why did you just ask that? You are driving to meet up with four other people right now! Do you ENJOY this kind of torture? Ass.

Bella blushed again as she began listening. "Well, I'd definitely want 'Idlewilde Blue' by Outkast and 'Dirtywhirl' by TV On The Radio…" She looked lost in thought, and I couldn't believe that she was actually thinking what she was thinking. My mouth must have dropped in shock…and arousal. Fuck, I wanted her RIGHT NOW.

"What?" she asked adamantly. "If you're allowed to create a playlist of songs for us to have sex to literally the morning after, then why is it weird that I've thought about it, too?"

"Not weird, Bel. Hot as fuck, and I'm doing everything in my power to keep driving and not pull over to the side of the road," I laughed.

Just then, the next song on the playlist came on. The opening lyrics were getting me fucking hot, and I didn't know what I was going to do if Bella's didn't remove her hand from my thigh.

_Is it still me that makes you sweat?_

_Am I who you think about in bed?_

_When the lights are dim and your hands are shaking as you're sliding off your dress_

Bella gripped my knee and whipped her head towards me. "Pull over, Edward."

My head was still catching up with my ears when Bella yelled, "You promised you wouldn't stop me…now, pull over!"

"Fuck!" I groaned, looking for ANYWHERE to pull over. I finally spotted a relatively empty parking lot of a library. Thank God for it being a Sunday. I pulled into the back corner, put the car in park, and pushed my seat all the way back.

_Exchanging body heat in the passenger seat_

_No, no, no, you know it will always just be me_

Bella's hands were on my pants faster than I could even comprehend, pushing them and my boxers around my ankles. I'm not going to lie, I've had some car sex. But, I've never had sex in the driver's seat of a hot ass Porsche. Fuck, I was absolutely the luckiest man alive.

I groaned as Bella ran her hand up the length of my dick. And then I thought something very, very sad.

You don't have a condom with you. Idiot.

Well, not really. You assumed that you would be able to go without sex for a few hours while you met your best friends for lunch. Apparently Bella has other thoughts.

Oh, who are you kidding…you had other thoughts, too.

"Shit, Bella," I attempted to interject as she placed her mouth over the head of my cock. FUCK! "We don't have a condom," I sputtered out.

She looked up at me and reached into her purse, all the while sucking and licking at me. I felt something in my hand, but I couldn't tear my eyes away from hers. I was so close to loosing it and all I wanted to do was touch her everywhere.

"Yes we do," she said, lifting her eyebrow in question.

Apparently my thought process was taking too long because next thing I knew, Bella had lifted her head and was rolling the condom on me herself. It was the sexiest thing I'd ever seen. Then, I noticed that she was still wearing all of her clothes.

Not okay.

"Bella, your clothes need to come off now," I said with force. My dick was starting to throb just slightly, waiting for her to return her attentions to it. And the song in the background was NOT helping.

First her shirt came off and then she shimmied out of her pants and underwear. Campbell's Soup style, Bella is "mm, mm good."

I can't believe I'm about to defile my baby sister's car to Panic! At The Disco, of all things….

Stop thinking about it, you promised Bella that you'd follow through. And you want it…bad.

Bella climbed over the center console and straddled my lap, brushing lightly against my tip. We both moaned loudly at the contact. I could feel her wetness dripping onto me from our brief contact, and I was once against astounded at Bella's responsiveness to me. It was unbelievable really.

Not being able to stand the pressure any more, I grabbed her waist and pushed her onto me. She made the most amazing sound, and I'm pretty sure my eyes rolled back into my head. From this angle, especially with the steering wheel so close to her back, our chests rubbed up against each other with each of her movements.

Our bodies were so close that I could sing into her ear.

"Let's get these teen hearts beating, faster, faster…So testosterone boys and harlequin girls, will you dance to this beat, and hold a lover close?" I sang.

I was surprised that I was able to keep my voice steady as her movements became more forceful each time she dropped down onto my lap.

"Fuck, Edward!" she screamed out, coming barely a minute into the song. Her body clenched on mine, but I wasn't through. Not even close. I continued to push her body up and down against mine as she shook through her orgasm.

Note to self: sing to Bella more often.

As the second chorus sang out _"faster, faster"_ again, I took its advice, pushing Bella up and down and thrusting off the seat to meet her each time. I could feel my own orgasm building, but I wanted…no NEEDED, to make Bella come again.

Continuing to thrust into one another, I pulled her body closer to mine and began to lick and suck at her neck. Just as I felt myself teetering off the edge, I bit down on Bella's shoulder…hard, and she came nearly instantly. Feeling her body shudder above mine again, gasping and crying out my name, I let myself finish with a final thrust.

Her breathless body melted onto mine in a fit of exhaustion as the song finished. I reached over and pressed pause on the ipod. She looked at me, confused.

"We actually have to get to lunch. I think we should probably switch playlists," I laughed.

Bella's eyes opened wide.

"Oh my God, Edward. This is Alice's car!" she said as she scrambled back to the passenger side of the car, putting her clothes back on. After she was fully dressed she climbed out of the car and opened the door.

I quickly pulled my pants back on and followed her out of the car, throwing the condom in the trash (again, Emmet…we dispose of condoms like normal people!).

"Yeah…"

"Edward…she's going to know! Alice AWLAYS knows. We have to air out the car before giving it back to her." Bella said, panicked.

I laughed and then frowned. She might actually have a point. Then I started laughing at the sheer ridiculousness of it all.

"Stop laughing, Edward! This is serious!"

"Bella…you just…made me…pull over…and fucked me…in my baby…sister's Porsche," I gasped between my now hysterical laughter. "We're like two horny teenagers who can't keep their hands off of each other."

She smiled and wrapped her tiny hands around my neck, pulling at my hair. "Well, at least we can cross off 'In Alice's Porsche' off of our list," she said as she kissed my jaw.

God, I loved when she did that. It made my stomach do that crazy girly flip I hated/loved so much. Then I paused. Wait…she has A LIST?

"Umm, we have a list?" I stuttered.

"Yes, we definitely do. And we've already crossed off Edward's bed, which was number one. Then we had it in the shower, which was number two. Number three was supposed to be in the Volvo, but I suppose we can alter that to just…in a car."

"So, what's next?" I prodded.

"Backstage."

I have a sex God as a girlfriend.

"Absolutely," I agreed. "And then?"

"Your childhood bedroom when I come home with you for Thanksgiving," she said as my mouth dropped. "Thanks for inviting me, by the way. "

"I…uh…we just…you had…"

She kissed me, effectively silencing any protests I had to the subject. Looking at my watch, I knew that Alice was going to have my head if we didn't make it to the restaurant in 5 minutes. Luckily, I was driving her Porsche and made it there in 7. Close enough.

Everyone was already at the restaurant waiting for us when we arrived. Alice jumped up to hug Bella immediately. She whispered something in her ear, and Bella frowned, shaking her head slightly. I gave Bella a questioning look, but she just rolled her eyes as she sat down, glaring at…Emmett?

What did Emmett do?

Bella cleared her throat and began, "Okay, so clearly some of you were concerned by my early departure last night…enough to cancel practice, which is completely unnecessary, by the way.

Jasper started to interrupt, but one look from Bella and he fell silent again.

"I know you guys think that I'm going to break down at any second because of this whole Jake ordeal," she continued. I cringed. "But I just wanted to let all of you know once and for all that I've already had my breakdown, and I'm fine now. Jake and I have come to an agreement."

Does this mean that she finally listened to his message? Oh, God. Please tell me it's all over. I don't think I could deal with any more Jake drama. That bastard didn't deserve a second thought from my Bella. But, I knew she was too considerate to just let him walk out on her without giving him a chance to explain. Damn her and her amazing heart.

I placed my hand on her knee under the table, letting her know that she didn't need to be afraid of my reaction. Well, I hoped that's what it did. Also…to let her know that she was unequivocally MINE now.

"So, what did you decide to do, Bella?" Rosalie asked. "Cause I think it's absolutely appalling that Jake hasn't come crawling back to you. I'd be begging on my knees for forgiveness, not begging for space…rat bastard."

"Emmett!" Bella said, throwing her hands up in the air.

So Bella had gone to Emmett about Jake. That's…interesting. And…okay, I guess. I'm glad she felt like she could talk to him, and I don't know if I'm rational enough to discuss Jake at all, much less objectively.

"What? I was concerned about you! And…I tell Rosalie everything…I'm sorry, Bella."

"I'm not," Rosalie scoffed. "Boy should be lucky I didn't follow him down to Oregon and rip his dick off!"

I snorted at that one. Rosalie raised her eyebrow in question, and I simply responded, "What? I agree." Apparently that placated Rosalie, who was still acting weird, by the way, and she turned back to Bella.

Bella squirmed uncomfortably in her seat as she looked to me for help.

"So, why were you two late anyway?" Emmett interrupted, …sort of coming to the rescue.

"We were looking at new songs to add to the set," I retorted. I saw Bella look at her silverware intently, attempting to mask her blush.

"Really?" Jasper said, interested. "What songs did you decide on?"

"I was kind of thinking about that All American Rejects song…'Dirty Little Secret'?" I smirked as Bella choked mid-sip of her water. "You alright, Bel?" I asked, sliding my hand further up her thigh.

I can't believe I'm doing this in front of Emmett and Jasper. I'm as good as dead if they see me, but I just can't tear my hands away from her. It's like her body is a fucking magnet for mine. Inseperable.

Alice spoke up, interrupting our conversation once again. "Well, before you got here, we were discussing Halloween options!"

Ugh. Halloween. Alice's favorite holiday, obviously.

"Didn't we just dress up yesterday?" I complained. I hated being one of Alice's Halloween pawns. Every year she would throw a huge Halloween party, but we (Alice, Jasper, Emmett, and me) all had to dress according to the same theme…so everyone would know that we were the hosts of the party, naturally. Sometimes Alice logic astounds me.

"Edward, I have a really great idea, so stop complaining. You BARELY dressed up yesterday anyway. I bought you super cool jeans that I knew you would love, and the shirt was already yours." Alice huffed.

"So what's your amazing idea, Alice?" I said sarcastically.

"I was thinking that we should all be Disney characters!" Alice squealed.

Hold up. Did she just say what I think she did?

Emmett spoke up first. "No…no way, Alice. I love you, but I'm not dressing up as a Disney character. Who the hell would I be anyway? I refuse to wear tights of any kind."

Thank you, Emmett. At least ONE sibling is sane.

"You don't have to wear tights, Em…you could be Captain Jack Sparrow and Elizabeth for all I care, just as long as you stay within the Disney theme."

"Okay, that's kind of cool, I guess," Emmett gave in. Traitor.

"Who would I be?" I asked. "No one has my hair color," I pouted. Bella rolled her eyes, laughing at my pouting face, I'm sure. She secretly loves when I whine. Don't know what that's all about, but I definitely plan on using it to my advantage in the future.

"I'd say you could be Peter Pan…he kind of has your color, except Jasper and I are being Peter Pan and Tinkerbelle," Alice smiled, gazing at Jasper. Of course she was. "You could be Demetri and Anastasia?" she asked, looking at Bella and me.

"Trick question, Alice. Anastasia was made by 20th Century Fox, not Disney," I said.

Bella looked at me, surprised. "Who knew you were such a Disney connoisseur, Edward?" she laughed.

Jasper laughed loudly. "What, Bella? He hasn't shown you his extensive collection of Disney movies stashed under his bed?"

I turned to Bella, refusing to acknowledge Jasper's attempt at a joke. "It's fine…we'll go searching for costumes sometime in the next few days. Happy, Alice?"

She smiled. "Very."

"So…do we all have to go as pairs?" Bella asked tentatively. "Because…not all of us are ACTUALLY pairs."

Smart, Bella. Throw them off. Nicely done.

Alice looked stern. "Absolutely. The pairs are non-negotiable. Sorry.

"Fine…" Bella said, throwing herself back into her seat. "So when do we want to go shopping?" Bella continued, slipping her hand into mine under the table. I ran my thumb over the back of her hand, making small circles. I could visibly see her eyes darken and knew that I should look away before I got a hard on just sitting at the table next to her.

That would be fun, right?

"Let's go after lunch," I suggested. I couldn't wait to see Bella try on costumes. Mm, mm.

"Sure," she said, and turned back to the table conversation.

Observing the table's conversation, I realized that Bella had seamlessly become a part of my family without my knowledge. I knew that Emmett and Alice already taken in Bella as if she were their sister, but to see Rosalie warm up to someone so quickly was pretty much unheard of. Shit, it took her at least 3 months to even crack a smile at one of my HILARIOUS jokes.

But, no. Bella did it with grace and ease.

I was starting to want to tell everyone that I was in love with Bella. I wanted to shout it from the rooftops, _Superbad_ style that I was in love with my best friend, Bella Swan.

I had a feeling it was going to come out sooner rather than later, and I was hoping that my family was going to be okay with that.

Smiling, I sat and watched my extended family. I realized for the first time in a long time that I was really happy, and I wasn't going to do ANYTHING to fuck it up.

**Chapter End Notes:**

**If you enjoyed it, please let me know! And...if you have suggestions for Disney costumes ALSO let me know. I think I have them all worked out, but...I'd love suggestions anyway :)**


	17. Chapter 17

**AN: Yesterday was a terrible, horrible day. I left my apartment this afternoon only to find that the passenger window of my brand new Honda Civic had been smashed in. Whoever broke into the car took my ipod and the car connecter (which were completely out of sight). I just wanted to thank everyone who reviewed for making my day a little brighter. While I waited for the cops to come and file a report, I just read over my reviews...and they seriously made me feel a TON better.**

**Also, this chapter is again dedicated to kaystu, who spent the entire afternoon with me, making sure that I was okay. And then taking me to a bar to get hammered. Thanks again for all you do, boo.**

**Ok, so here's the chapter you've probably all been waiting for. Get excited. Get excited for their costumes, too. Sorry they're not Beauty and the Beast...I went with something a little off-beat. Hope you still enjoy it, though.**

BPOV

The rest of the week went by in an Edward induced haze. I honestly can't tell you what I did besides spend my days waiting for the minutes where we could be alone. Our stolen kisses and touches were barely enough sustenance to keep my hands off of him in public. And the ridiculously hot sex didn't hurt.

Not at all.

Edward had actually insisted on adding "Dirty Little Secret" to the set list, which made me laugh every single time he sang it. I'm pretty sure he just wanted to get laid backstage, which still had yet to happen.

By this time, though, we'd crossed a few more places off of my self-imposed list. We'd christened the Volvo yesterday, which I was extremely excited about – plus, as fun as the Porsche was, the Volvo had more room for…leverage (*blush*). The shower had also seen QUITE a bit of action, as had Edward's bed. God, I loved being in his bed.

Tonight, though, we were finally going to be alone in MY bed. In fact, it was the first time that I would be sleeping in my bed since the first night that Edward and I spent together nearly over a month ago, now. He was so damn cute; he even brought over an overnight bag earlier this afternoon when Alice was out of the apartment so he'd have his stuff here. Every minute I was finding more things I loved about Edward. God, we were such a cute couple, sometimes it was pretty sickening. Despite the whole "keeping our relationship a secret" thing, we were one of the most functional couples I'd ever witnessed.

"Oh my God, Bella…you look SPECTACULAR!" Alice raved as she finished putting my makeup on.

My costume was rather comical. Edward and I had struggled for a few days with what we should dress up as…nothing seemed to quite work, until Edward found boots that he said ABSOLUTELY had to be a part of my costume. …the rest of the costume came pretty naturally after that…although, it required three trips to the tanning salon with Alice and going without food for the better part of the week in order to have the confidence to show my stomach to the public.

I stood up and looked at myself in the mirror. Alice was right, per usual. I DID look spectacular. I looked…well…fuckable. Bella as Pocahontas…not too shabby, if I say so myself.

My top was essentially a tan, one shouldered, suede bra, leaving my entire stomach completely bare. My skirt…if you could call it that was more like a tan belt with some fringe. Needless to say, the thigh high Minnetonka boots added the perfect amount of coverage to balance the extensive amount of skin I was currently showing. Alice had expertly straightened my hair, which was now long enough to hang almost half way down my back. Plus, once I told her what my costume was, she went out and found me a pretty accurate replica of the turquoise necklace she wears in the movie.

I was also DAMN excited to see Edward as Captain John Smith…in fact, he had requested that I call him "Captain" all night long. I think he may have been getting a little emasculated by me calling him 'bunny,' but I just couldn't help it. To help make him feel masculine again we purchase some armor and a sword for his costume. Other than that, I'm pretty sure he was just planning on wearing some grey pants and some boots from his "badass" days, he called them (I laughed at that one). I absolutely couldn't wait to see it in person. I'm sure I was going to be wet in anticipation for our alone time in my bed later ALL night long.

Alice looked just as amazing, too, as Tinkerbell. She was covered almost head to toe in glitter, and her wings and wand had me believing that she was ACTUALLY a fairy. Just as the thought crossed my mind, she came barreling into my room with a drink in hand for me.

I peered into the cup and smirked. "Margaritas, Alice? Didn't we already have the discussion about me and tequila?" I laughed.

"Yes, but it's a special occasion!" she said, taking a large gulp of her cup. "Also, you're barely wearing clothes to begin with, so…if they happen to fall off, I don't think anyone in particular will notice," she giggled.

"Sup, bitches?" we heard Rosalie shout from the living room. I took a large gulp of my margarita and followed Alice out of my room. As soon as I stepped into the light, I was accosted by loud and obnoxious whistling. Placating them, I did I little turn so they could check it out.

Jasper did a low whistle and came up to put his arm around my side. "Damn, Bella! Someone's looking good…hearts are going to be breaking hearts in Seattle tonight," he laughed.

I blushed. I may have been in love with Edward, but…I may have still had a very small crush on Jasper. I mean, the Southern accent, the hair, the body…he's just so adorable! I pulled out of his arms and looked him up and down. His Peter Pan costume looked amazing. It was as if he actually stepped out of the movie…tights and all. He looked hilarious. I couldn't help myself and doubled over in laughter.

Just then, I felt two hands come to my sides…but they weren't the ones I was expecting. No, these two were dainty and a little too cold to be placed on my bare skin. Whipping around, I was met with Rosalie's piercing blue eyes.

"Bella, you probably shouldn't do any bending over tonight," she winked.

Rosalie looked fabulous. I took in her body for the first time, and I couldn't deny the fact that she looked HOT. She and Emmett had decided to go as Woody and Little Bo Peep. Emmett looked ridiculous in his cowboy outfit, but Rosalie just looked gorgeous. Her breasts were almost spilling out of her little white dress, which barely covered her ass. The entire look was topped off by pigtails, which were expertly curled into ringlets. She had the innocent hot thing DOWN. I was impressed.

Emmett huffed. "Yeah, definitely not. Fuck, Bella…Edward and I are going to have to be throwing guys off of you all night."

Right…Edward. Where in God's name was that child? I needed to ravage him in the very near future. I looked around the room and finally spotted him next to Jasper. How had I missed him? My beautiful John Smith. He already had his sword in hand—did I mention he was SUPER excited about the sword?

Although right now he was giving me the greatest eye fuck of my entire life. His gaze started at my boots, lingered on the skin between the top of the boots and the bottom of the skirt and then slowly traveled farther north. They paused at the cup in my hand, and I smirked and took another large sip. I hadn't eaten much all week, and I was starting to already feel the effects of half a cup of my margarita.

Shit, how much tequila had Alice put in these?

Breaking his concentration, I ran over to the bar and poured everyone margaritas. Alice had gone all out and literally made pitchers worth. The amount of tequila currently residing in our freezer was enough to get a small nation fairly buzzed. And seeing how Edward was looking at me tonight, I could honestly say that I couldn't wait to get more tequila in me.

I passed Edward a glass and wrapped my arm around his waist.

"You look handsome, Captain," I blushed. "Playing with your sword already?"

He choked on his drink a little bit and Emmett laughed.

"I'm pretty sure that playing with his sword is all Edward's been doing lately," Emmett howled, placing a large hand on Edward's shoulder. Edward scowled at him, and everyone couldn't help but laugh.

"Who knows?" Edward retorted angrily, "Maybe I'll get lucky tonight…"

You definitely will, baby.

Rosalie laughed, "Sure, Edward. Whatever you say. Now, let's do a toast!"

Alice cleared her throat, threw some glitter into the air, and began. "Second star to the right and straight on till morning!"

"Hey, that's my line," Jasper frowned.

"To infinity and beyond!" Emmett piped in.

"Just around the river bend?" I added.

We lifted our glasses and drank, only to break into hysterical laughter again; I knew that the night was only going to get better from there.

3 hours and several margaritas later, things were starting to get a little fuzzy.

Emmett had been doing a good job of pushing unwanted male suitors away from me all night long. He was also the designated driver for the night, so…he was able to do it forcefully, efficiently, and without slurring. …unlike Edward, who just kind of pouted, took out his sword, and slurred a "leave herrr alone," to anyone who approached me.

I decided that I had had enough of being protected, and I was ready to have some real fun. I sought out Rosalie and found her mid-shot at the bar with some guy I didn't recognize. Bouncing over to the kitchen, I looked at her in question.

"Oh, Mike—this is Bella…she lives here. Bella, this is Mike—we just met, but he wanted some tequila, and I knew where the stash was…" she said, winking at me.

Mike took a step towards me and stumbled a little bit. Wow, he was WASTED. And…not in a remotely attractive way. Just then I felt his hand on the small of back. I stiffened in surprise, and I could feel the heat of Edward's gaze from across the room without even looking back at him. Jealous Edward was one of my favorites, but at the level of drunkenness we were both at right now, I'm sure he would have exposed our relationship in a drunken fit to everyone.

…not good…

Rosalie came to the rescue and pulled me into the crowd for a dance.

"Come on, Bella—I love this song!" she cheered, pulling me close to her body to avoid losing me amongst the drunken, dancing masses.

"Thanks, Rose," I breathed.

"Not a problem…that guy was a skeeze," she whispered into my ear.

Just then, "Sex on Fire" came on over the speakers, and my level of sexual desire increased tenfold. God, there's just something about that song that makes me want to take my clothes off…or maybe that's the tequila talking. Who knows?

By this point in the night, I couldn't really tell. All I knew is that I wish I could have my hands wrapped around Edward right now. I made eye contact with Edward, who was pouring himself a shot of god knows what. Sensing that my eyes were on him, he looked up at me, his gaze burning my skin.

"Feeling naughty tonight, Bella?" Rosalie laughed as she pulled me closer to her.

Wow. Did it just get even HOTTER here?

Rosalie ran her hands up my waist, and I couldn't control myself anymore. I leaned into her and brushed my lips against hers, still moving in time to the music. I expected Rosalie to pull away, but she did nothing of the sort. Instead, her lips pressed against mine firmly, and her grasp around my waist increased in pressure. I sighed at the contact, and Rosalie wasted no time pushing her tongue into my mouth. I closed my eyes and reveled in the feeling of her against me. I brought my tongue to meet hers gently. She moaned slightly, and I couldn't help but smile and pull back.

"You're welcome," she whispered, pulling back as well.

Your welcome for what? …maybe I'm so drunk that I don't even know what she's saying anymore.

I was still dancing with Rosalie when Alice somehow found the ipod and switched it to a song that I had recently told her I wanted to have sex to. (*Yes, ever since Edward made the initial playlist, we had been adding to it regularly*). The room filled with the synthesized sounds of the Queen of Pop herself, Miss Britney Spears. Now, I'm not the biggest Britney fan by any means, but…something about "Mannequin" just made me want to rub up against someone.

The next thing I knew, Edward's hands were all over me. God, I had missed them. He pulled my hips to his, and I could feel the warmth of his skin radiating onto my bare body, his hands caressing my back with each beat.

I could smell the tequila on his breath, and all I wanted to do was stick my tongue into his mouth and taste it. God damn everyone for being around. Wait…there are other people around. People can see us! FUCK.

"Uh, Edward," I whispered, trying to focus on his eyes.

"Yeah?" he smirked.

"This isn't being very secretive…" He interrupted me by dipping me and pulling me back into him even closer, effectively emptying my head of any thoughts whatsoever. I was saying something important…I'm sure.

"Haven't you heard of hiding in plain sight?" he laughed as I whimpered slightly.

"This isn't a good idea…" I said, attempting to rationalize, but finding it impossible with his erection pressing into my stomach.

"If you can kiss Rosalie in public, why can't you kiss me?" he pouted.

I rolled my eyes and continued dancing with him. I wasn't letting him go any time soon.

The next thing I knew, I was lying down on the couch with Alice and Rose, who were also wiped out. Wow, I must have had more to drink than I thought.

Emmett laughed, picking up Rosalie from the couch. "Alright, people. It's been real, but my baby needs her sleep."

"Us, too," Jasper piped in. Alice nodded.

"To bed, Bella?" Edward asked, the smoldering in his eyes just barely contained.

"Yup," I said, while attempting to get off the couch. However, drunk and Bella don't really mix, and I nearly fell flat on my ass.

EPOV

Bella was drunk off of her ass. Not that I was complaining because it made her highly entertaining. Although it was torture watching her all night without really being able to touch her, especially when she looked so damn fuckable with her tongue in Rosalie's mouth. Fuck, man. It took all of my willpower to not cross the room and take her right there. Finally I had to dance with her in order to have SOME reason to get my hands on her. It was totally worth it.

Bella was nearly passed out on the couch, and I needed to get everyone else out so we could begin our ALONE time. As Bella attempted to get up, though, she nearly fell straight on her ass. Naturally, I ran to grab her. She laughed as I hoisted her up onto my back.

I grabbed the back of her knees, pulling her into a more comfortable position as she wrapped her arms around my neck. I felt her rest her head on my shoulder and she whispered, "Thanks, bunny."

She was wasted, so I was going to let the pet name slide. She snorted softly, and I turned my head towards hers, only to see that she had effectively passed out on me, piggyback style. I was admiring her relaxed face when out of nowhere, an incredibly bright flash blinded me and woke Bella up.

"What in God's name…"

"You looked really cute," Alice chirped. "Kodak moment!"

I'm sure I'd thank her eventually for burning my corneas with the brightest light to ever exist.

I walked Bella into her room and dropped her onto her bed. She looked up at me with drunk eyes and slurred, "Did you know this is my first night in this bed in over a month?"

Huh. We really hadn't spent any time in Bella's bed. I was looking forward to defiling it in a few short minutes. Then, like God answering my prayers, I heard the door slam and the lot of them all shout out their goodbyes.

My eyes raked over Bella's nearly naked body and my cock sprang to life. Not that it hadn't been up already, but I could now feel it pulsing with need to get into Bella.

Bella crawled across the bed to get to me, and I had never been as turned on in my entire life as in that one moment. Seeing Bella acting so primal and feral…it opened a whole new door of role-playing and costume possibilities.

"Captain," Bella breathed seductively.

Oh…I liked that name. Captain. That had a nice ring to it.

"Yes?" I groaned as her hands began to nimbly remove my belt and sword.

"What do you need me from me?" she said, looking at me with darkened eyes. Oh, yes. I could see where this was going.

I had learned that Bella liked it most when I was in complete control. And she especially liked talking…dirty talking, that is. It was a lot of pressure, but I was more than willing to live up to the task.

"Take off your clothes," I said, surprising myself with my strained voice. I was way more aroused and anxious than I thought I was.

Slowly, Bella peeled her top off, revealing her luscious breasts. They weren't too big; they fit into my hands perfectly. Unable to stay away from her, I climbed onto the bed, hovering over her and placed my hand around her breast, massaging it lightly. She moaned loudly, and I was glad that for once we didn't have to worry about anyone hearing us.

"How does that feel?" I continued.

"So good," she whispered, placing her hands at the hem of my shirt and tugging upwards.

Baby, if you want me to take my clothes off, you're going to have to ask.

"Bella…" I warned.

"Please…please may I take off your clothes?" she whined. I nodded as I pushed off of her slightly, so she could remove my shirt and then continued massaging her chest. Deciding to tease her some more, I placed my lips at the outside curve of her other breast, licking the skin slightly. It tasted like sweat and salt and tequila, and I wanted more.

"Baby, you taste delicious," I said roughly, still keeping my lips attached to her chest.

Unable to keep her confined to the bounds of her superhot costume anymore, I reached for her skirt and unzipped it. She shimmied out of it quickly. She wasn't wearing ANYTHING underneath.

Holy fuck.

She wasn't wearing anything underneath that BELT all night? I just got harder. I pushed myself down her thighs, following the motion of her skirt. Looking up at her, I put my mouth on the lace at the top of her boot and pulled, unlacing the boot. I pulled it off slowly and then repeated the same action with the next boot.

Just as I finished, she sat up and finished undressing me, too. I stared at her. She was the most beautiful creature I'd ever seen.

"I love you, Bella," I smiled, taking her head in my hands and pulling her in for a searing kiss.

She whimpered slightly and cocked her head to the side slightly. "New song tonight?" she asked. "You know, to help christen my bed…"

"No," I refused. "This is our first night alone since our first night. I want to hear you." She blushed and nodded. My bashful Bella.

I pushed her back to the bed, gliding my hands up her sides back to their favorite spot: her breasts. She moaned loudly and widened her legs in response.

Good girl, Bella.

To reward her, I kissed up the inside of her thigh slowly and finally came to rest on her wet center. I licked in up slowly, pressing my tongue softly to her clit. She grabbed my hair and shouted out, "FUCK, Edward!"

I chucked, and she moaned loudly again at the vibrations. I continued with my ministrations in just the way she liked until she finally couldn't take it anymore. I moved one of my hands from her chest to push into her core. She widened her legs even further as I curled my fingers into her. She was so close to the edge, and I heard her groan, "Yes…"

I pulled back slightly, and she looked up at me, confused.

"I need to hear you louder, Bella," I smirked.

"Yes, Captain," she winked.

I put my fingers back to work, and sure enough her sounds multiplied in volume.

"Oh my God, YES, Edward! Please, harder….don't stop, don't stop!" she yelled as she clenched around my fingers.

I laughed and pulled myself back up to her face to kiss her thoroughly. She laughed loudly, her eyes twinkling.

"Was that loud enough for you?"

"Could have been louder," I laughed.

"You're drunk, Edward," she attempted to chastise me.

"So are you…"

"I missed you tonight," she said, pulling me back to her mouth. Suddenly, I felt her hand on me, guiding me into her, and I couldn't help but groan into her mouth.

I entered her in one smooth stroke, and the world fell into place again. She kissed my neck sweetly, and I heard her sigh, "I love you." It wasn't loud, but it was enough. I pulled out almost all the way and pushed back into her fully. She started moaning again. I don't think she even knew she did it, but GOD did it make my ego feel good.

I was getting closer, and Bella was getting louder. Finally, I couldn't take it anymore when I felt her start to clench down on me. I completely lost it and spilled into her, overwhelmed by the sensation of being so close to her.

I rolled over, falling onto her bed. I looked over at Bella and realized something.

"Shit, Bella—I'm so sorry!"

She looked perplexed. "Sorry for what?"

This was embarrassing. "Did you…umm…finish?" I asked.

Bella just laughed loudly in response. "What's funny about that?" I asked again, feeling like a complete douchebag. No one should finish before their girl. It's just mean.

"Edward," she gasped. "I came TWICE, are you kidding? Did you not hear me? " I stared at her in complete awe. Her hand ran up my chest as she rolled on her side towards me. "Wow, you ARE drunk, bunny. Let's get some sleep. We can get to round two in the morning before Alice gets back, k?"

I nodded and kissed her lightly, feeling the room spin beneath me slightly. I guess I was WAY drunker than I thought I was. Tucking Bella's head into the crook of my neck, I fell asleep into a drunk slumber.

~ *** ~

The next morning I thought my head was going to explode. I woke up to Bella pushing my arm slightly. She was a good drinker and rarely had hangovers. Stupid girlfriend. Psh.

"Bel, give me another hour, please?" I whined, keeping my eyes shut. Usually she would have given in, but now she just pushed on my arm more forcefully. Ow. That girl didn't know her own strength.

"Edward, you need to get up," she said.

Chuckling at my own hilarious sense of humor, I grabbed her arm that was annoying the hell out of my head and shoulder and placed it on my very prominent morning wood.

"Oh, I'm up, baby," I laughed.

Instead of laughing and going along with it, her hand stiffened and refused to move.

Suddenly I heard someone clear their throat from across the room.

Wait, across the room? But Bella's currently in bed with you…

I shot up in bed and opened my eyes nervously. There, in the doorway was the unmistakable toe-tapping, hung over looking, glitter covered body of my baby sister.

"Morning, lovebirds," she chirped, smiling broadly.

Alice. Shit.

**Chapter End Notes:**

**Uh oh....they've been found out! Second part to come soon! Who thinks we can make it to 400 reviews? Let's try...really hard. Remember I was just vandalized. Leave me some love, PLEASE :)**


	18. Chapter 18

**AN: Wow--I have the best readers in the entire world. Honestly, you guys--thank you so much for your condolences. This week has been a bit stressful dealing with the car, but writing actually provided a lot of catharsis, so...hopefully you continue to enjoy it :) **

**Now, a few things first.**

**You are too observant for your own good. I try to pull something over you, and you ALL notice. Yes, Edward did NOT use a condom in the last chapter. Yes, that was intentional. Yes, it will be dealt with in this chapter. But, please--read the entire chapter before going all crazy-like on me, okay?**

**And, A HUGE hello, and tons of hugs to my new readers. HI! Also, an extra special thanks to the new readers who have found my story and have been reviewing every chapter. This chapter is being posted early because of hazelstar721—I hope this makes you feel better.**

**Now: ONWARD!**

BPOV

There's one thing that I love about me and tequila, which is (despite the fact that it loosens my morals a bit) it never gives me a hangover. I woke up early the next morning wrapped in Edward's arms. I didn't even want to open my eyes yet; I was simply basking in the glow of being in love. His body pressed up next to mine was sheer heaven. My head was resting on his chest, and it rose and fell slightly with each one of his even breaths.

I opened my eyes to openly ogle the perfect creature sleeping beside me. How did I become so lucky to deserve this? The way his features relaxed when he slept, he looked like a small child…so innocent.

That was sure to change as soon as he gained consciousness, I thought.

I loved watching Edward like this. It also helped that he was an insanely deep sleeper, so I could admire him all I wanted during sleep without the fear of being caught and looking like an obsessive girlfriend. I pressed a light kiss to his chest and noticed that he smiled slightly in his sleep.

Time to wake up, Bella. Make your boyfriend some coffee because you know he'll be cranky and hung over as hell when he wakes up.

I rolled over to get out of bed when my breathing stopped. Standing in the middle of my opened doorway was none other than Alice. She was currently sporting the half grin her brother uses on me, however I couldn't have been more afraid of that expression right now.

I gripped the comforter to my CLEARLY naked body and sat up, trying to figure out how to possibly diffuse this situation.

"Alice—this…I…it's…how long have you been here?" I attempted to form a coherent sentence and was failing miserably.

Alice's smile grew as she texted something furiously into her phone. "Long enough to know that if you're going to attempt to deny anything, you really should have checked to see who actually left the apartment last night."

My mouth dropped. Alice had been here all night? Fuck. Fuck, fuck, fuck, fuck. Way to keep it a secret.

"By the way…Captain? Really?" she said as she raised her eyebrow.

"You never left last night?" I choked out. And then I thought something terrible. "Wait, Jasper isn't here, is he?" Oh God. Please tell me Jasper isn't here. He can't have been here, he'd already have killed Edward if he heard us last night, I'm sure.

Alice giggled. "Nope, just me. Now, can you do me a huge favor and wake up my brother? I want him to be awake for the next part."

I looked back at Alice, who had now crossed her arms and was tapping her toe at me impatiently.

Oh dear Christ. Here goes nothing. I pushed Edward's arm lightly, and he made an unhappy noise and moved slightly. I rolled my eyes slightly, knowing that he would need more than a small nudge to wake up and pushed his shoulder, shaking him slightly. He groaned loudly.

Success!

I glanced back at Alice again, who was maintaining her toe tapping position. I knew that Edward needed to wake up NOW. I pushed Edward's shoulder significantly harder.

"Edward, you need to get up," I said forcefully.

Instead of getting up like a normal person, Edward had to bring it back to sex, per usual. He grabbed my hand which was still on his shoulder and moved it around his…HOLY HELL.

He laughed lightly as he said, "Oh, I'm up, baby." If it had been under normal circumstances, I would have laughed and probably given him a fantastic hand job, however…these were not normal circumstances. In fact, his sister was just standing in the doorway…and my hand is on his cock. If I could put my head in my hands in embarrassment right now, I would. Oh God, I would.

Alice cleared her throat from the doorway, and Edward froze for a split second before springing up in bed next to me. I tried to look apologetic, but I don't think Edward even saw. He was staring at Alice with the same expression that I'm sure had graced my features only moments before.

"Morning, lovebirds!" Alice smiled while staring back at her brother. "Now, put on some clothes please. Rosalie should be here in less than five minutes."

Alice turned around and walked back out to the living room. I groaned.

Just then, Edward turned his head towards me as if he just realized that I was still there.

"I…we…wait, what?" Edward sputtered.

I shook my head and crashed it onto Edward's chest. He wrapped me in his arms, rubbing small circles into my back as I struggled to take deep, even breaths to calm myself down. Edward took a deep breath, and I felt him place soft kisses into my hair. I pushed back slightly to look him in the eyes.

"Edward, Alice never left last night."

"Oops," Edward quipped, dazzling me temporarily with a soft, but drawn out kiss on my lips. I pushed his chest away from mine, trying to make sense of everything, but I was failing miserably.

"Why aren't you concerned?" I asked.

He rolled out of bed and pulled on a pair of boxers. "Okay, so Alice knows that we slept together. I sleep with a LOT of people, Bella…she won't think it's THAT weird," he laughed.

I smacked him across the back of his head. "Ow!" he groaned, smiling slightly.

"You're an asshole," I sighed.

"I know," he smirked. "But you love me for it."

I rolled my eyes, trying to deny it…but I couldn't. "Put on your clothes, Edward," I attempted in a stern voice, but even I could hear the smile in it.

Just before heading out to meet with Alice, I felt a pull on my wrist and was suddenly wrapped in the warmth of Edward's body. I inhaled deeply, savoring the second of peace we could have to ourselves before the Inquisition.

I looked up at Edward's twinkling eyes and sighed loudly. What if Alice spilled our secret to everyone and they disapproved? This was going to be a huge issue, and I wasn't sure if I was completely ready to deal with everything yet.

Luckily Edward can read my mind, apparently. He looked at me and smiled, warming my insides. "Hey," he began softly, tilting my head up to look him in the eyes. "It's going to be okay. No matter what Alice or Rosalie has to say, it doesn't change the fact that I love you."

"I know," I nodded, wrapping my hands in his hair (their favorite place to be). "Thank you, though. I love you, too."

Edward leaned down slightly and captured my lips with his own. I wanted to deepen the kiss so badly, but I knew that Alice was waiting for us in the next room. Just as I was about to pull away, the bedroom door was wrenched open revealing a shocked looking Rosalie and a smug looking Alice.

"You guys are in love?" Rosalie yelled, clearly perturbed. "I thought you two were just fucking!"

I contemplated responding, but before I could, Rosalie sulked away to her purse, pulled out her wallet, and handed a wad of bills into Alice's waiting hands.

Wait, what? Come again? Did they just…

"Alice? Rose? Did you bet that…" I didn't know how to finish the sentence. Alice skipped over to the couch and pointed to the one perpendicular to it still maintaining eye contact with me.

"Sit, please! Let's talk," she smiled as Rosalie took a seat next to her on the couch.

I slipped my hand into Edward's and led us to the couch Alice was still pointing to. We sat next to one another, our intertwined fingers lying on my lap with Edward's thumb sliding back and forth, calming me significantly.

There was an uncomfortable pause in the room, and I wasn't quite sure what to say. Obviously Alice had been here all night, and clearly she and Rosalie had known something was happening, so…what now?

"So…" I began, attempting to get the conversation flowing. It didn't work. I panicked slightly. Okay, maybe a little more than slightly. "Alice!" I blurted out. "Just have at us, okay? But please don't tell Emmett and Jasper because I don't think they would take it too well hearing about it second hand, and—"

Alice interrupted me, smirking. God, I was really beginning to hate that expression. "If we hadn't told Emmett and Jasper already, why would you think we would now?"

EPOV

Holy fuck. This couldn't get any weirder. I had entered the Twilight Zone, and it was really creeping me out. I woke up this morning hoping for a round 2, not Alice's Inquisition – well, apparently not so much of an Inquisition because ALICE ALREADY KNEW.

I mean, it was no secret that my baby sister had amazing intuition, but…I figured she'd come clean and tell me if she knew something. Apparently not.

Bella released my hand in a sudden fit and threw her hands in the air. "What?"

Rosalie snickered. "Oh, please, Bella. Alice and I have had a bet going for the past month over who could find evidence that you two had been fucking. Clearly Alice won—do you know how irritated I was to be woken up this morning by a text saying that I should stop at an ATM because I owed Alice $200?"

My mouth dropped. "$200, really?" I gaped.

"Actually it was different amounts of money for what we could prove that you guys were doing. Like, $50 for a used condom in the trash, $100 for seeing you in a state of undress together, $150 for inadvertently admitting to it, and $200 for in the act," Rosalie explained rationally. Alice simply nodded.

Bella looked at me with big, confused eyes.

Oh, yeah, Bel. I'm right there with you.

"Wait, seriously? But…you didn't actually see us doing anything…so it should really only be $150…" I trailed off.

Alice scoffed. "Please, I was here all night long. Just because I didn't SEE you in the act doesn't mean I didn't know it was happening. I had to endure HOURS of Bella screaming out profanities about your—"

"Ew, enough, Alice." Bella buried her head into my shoulder, and I wrapped my arm around her. I could feel the heat of her blush through my t-shirt, which made me laugh slightly. Bella looked up at me and shook her head.

"This is NOT funny, Edward. It's REALLY embarrassing."

I leaned down and kissed her forehead. "It's not that embarrassing, love. What's embarrassing is that they've had this bet going on for a month and we only officially began our relationship a week ago."

"A week ago?" Alice gaped. "You took that long? That's appalling, and you two should be ashamed of yourselves!"

"See, that's the kind of response I expected initially this morning…" Bella mumbled.

Then I remembered something. "Wait, you searched through my trash for used condoms? That's really gross, guys."

"I know!" Rosalie jumped in. "Plus I told Alice it was completely unnecessary because you probably didn't need to be using condoms anyway."

"No," Bella blushed again. "We used condoms, we just flushed them down the toilet like two normal people hiding their relationship."

God, Bella was adorable when she blushed. How the Bella from last night could still blush at the word 'condom' was beyond me, but I loved it nonetheless.

"Ha! I told you so!" Alice pointed at Rosalie.

"Really?" Rosalie questioned. "I thought for sure you'd be on birth control pills."

Bella looked at me nervously and muttered something under her breath. The small blush that had been gracing her cheeks spread to the rest of her face and down the back of her neck. What could possibly get Bella that flustered?

"Um, yeah…no. Not for another three weeks."

Come again?

I whipped my head around to find Bella staring at her hands. "What was that?"

"Oh, Edward, don't be such a prude," Rosalie scoffed.

Bella lifted her head and laid it on my shoulder so our faces were only inches away from one another. "I went to the doctor two days ago, actually…I can start taking them at the end of my next period…which will be in three weeks, so…then we won't have to use condoms anymore…" she said, her eyes looking for approval in mine.

Well, fuck. Who wouldn't want to not use condoms anymore? …that was a whole lot of negatives, bro. Shhh, I'm reveling in the fact that Bella and I won't need condoms in under a month.

In fact, Bella will be the first girl I'd experience that with. I don't think I'd ever had sex and not used a condom.

I racked my brain, trying to think of a time when I didn't use a condom during sex and was coming up blank.

"Bel, that's great—you could have told me, though."

"I know," she laughed, looking away for a second. "It's kind of stupid, but…I wanted to surprise you?"

I couldn't believe her. She was hilarious and amazing and incredible and one hundred other adjectives…but most importantly, she was mine.

I grabbed Bella by the waist and kissed her hard, temporarily forgetting that we had an audience.

"Ugh, you two are sickening," Rosalie whined.

I turned Bella around in my lap to face Alice and Rosalie, while keeping my arms around her. Now that they knew we were together, I wasn't planning on hiding it. Bella relaxed into my chest, and I smiled.

"Okay, so…since we obviously know…we reserve the right to hear all the details," Alice began.

"Isn't that weird, Alice? I mean…he's your BROTHER," Bella continued.

"Um, yeah—hi, I'm here. I can hear you talking about me…"

"Shh," Alice interrupted me again. I gave up and sat back. "Please, Bella. I felt Edward's hard on for you while I was sitting on his lap and listened to you go at it last night…loudly. I can take it, and as your roommate slash best friend, I want to know EVERYTHING. Plus, you're practically family. Now, spill."

I could feel Bella smiling as she began telling our tale to Alice. "Well, it started the night of my first gig. When you called Edward to come help me calm down. …yeah, I kind of, maybe, sort of jumped him."

Rosalie laughed loudly, and I tuned out the rest of the conversation. I didn't actually need to be here. I had no intention of talking about my sex life with my sister and my brother's girlfriend. I leaned my head back onto the couch and went through the experiences of the past week in my head.

Bella and I just fit together perfectly, and in three weeks we would be fitting together even MORE perfectly. Just as Bella wrapped up our "saga" (that's what Alice was calling it), I remembered something absolutely terrible.

My face must have visibly paled because Rosalie quirked her head. "Edward, are you feeling okay?"

I opened my mouth to talk, but it had gone incredibly dry.

Fuck, man. You should DEFINITELY say something. Keeping this to yourself is a HUGE mistake.

"Bunny?" Bella asked placing soft kisses on my jaw.

This is an asshole move, Cullen. This is something that the OLD Edward would do. Tell her. Tell her. Tell her.

"I'm fine," I lied, immediately regretting what I was about to do. "I was just worried about what's going to happen with Jasper and Emmett…"

Alice rolled her eyes. "Stop being so dramatic, Edward. I've known you two were in love with one another before you did. I really don't think they're going to have a problem with it—just tell them."

"Not yet!" Bella yelled. We all looked at her and she started giggling. "Sneaking around has been kind of…fun. Can't we just keep it a secret for a little while longer? And now that you and Rosalie know, you can help cover for us…"

"Bella," I said, "we can still sneak around after they know. I, for one, am ready to tell EVERYONE that I'm in love with you. And I really want my family to know before you come to Chicago for Thanksgiving…"

"Fine," Bella huffed.

"Okay, so we're giving you the next three and a half weeks to come out," Rosalie calculated. "Then, we stop covering for you."

"Thanks," Bella said quietly. "Now, get out of here, so I can have my way with Edward," she said, shooing Rosalie and Alice out of the apartment.

Alice put her hands to her ears pretending to be shocked, but I could see her smile across the room.

After the two girls had left, Bella turned around to straddle me on the couch. "So…that was interesting," she said while getting comfortable in my lap.

Interesting, indeed.

"I had other plans for us this morning," she breathed into my ear. Magically my cock sprang to life.

The little devil. Do you have no shame? FEEL GUILTY!

Stop talking to your dick, Cullen. It's still weird.

Gah! I was having an internal battle with an angel on one shoulder and my penis on the other. Per usual, my dick won.

Asshole.

"Oh yeah?" I croaked. STAY STRONG!

"Mmhmm," Bella nodded as she slid off the couch to rest on her knees on the floor. Her hands pulled down my boxers with her, and the angel lost the fight. I tried not to jump at the feeling of Bella's fingers on my dick, but they were a little cold, and my dick twitched away from her. She giggled uncontrollably while rubbing her hands together creating friction and warmth. "Sorry," she apologized.

"No apology necessary, baby" I groaned as she wrapped her hand firmly around my shaft. Her hand slid up slowly, torturing me with every prolonged second. Even slower she lowered her mouth to the head and licked the tip. My head rolled back with the intensity of the pleasure. It was SO wrong, but I needed a release BADLY.

Bella's hand moved farther down to stroke me as she moved her mouth to take more of me in. The only noise in the room was the sound of her sucking and my incredibly hard breathing. This was embarrassing. I wasn't going to last more than a minute. When Bella's involved I actually turn into a 17 year old boy. Apparently it's inevitable…doing stupid things all over the place.

Just as I thought I was in heaven, the pressure of her sucking increased, and I could feel the soft scrape of her teeth. I was teetering close to the precipice of my climax, but I was trying with everything I had to make it last longer. Bella did not feel the same way, though, because seconds later her hand moved from my thigh to massage my balls.

Fuck, it was amazing.

The pleasure was blinding, and I came hard into her waiting mouth. Breathing heavily still, she cleaned every drop up, licking me thoroughly. She pulled up my boxers again and curled up, lying with her head on my lap.

"I love you so much, Edward. I'm really glad that you want your family to know. I wish I could tell my family about you, too," Bella said softly.

"You could tell your mom," I suggested pushing her hair out of her eyes. Agh. Mother. Children. Edward Cullen is freaking out with guilt.

"She wouldn't care," Bella sighed. "And it's not like I can tell Billy…he'd be so happy, he'd tell Jake." She cringed.

Don't do it…do it. Don't do it—this is not the right time. Do it, there's not a right time.

"Bella, we forgot to use a condom last night," I blurted out. I closed my eyes, but I could feel her stiffen on my lap. She pushed herself up into a sitting position.

"We…wait, what?" Bella sputtered. "H..how?"

I opened my eyes and tentatively looked at her. Her eyes were wide, but she looked more concerned for me right now than for herself. That just wasn't right.

Shape the fuck up, Cullen.

"I don't really know. I guess we got caught up in the moment, and we were drunk…not that that's really an excuse. I, um, I just…what do we do? This has never happened to me before…" I rambled nervously. I always rambled when I was nervous, and Bella knew. She put her hand on my knee and smiled.

"We could add 'Papa Don't Preach' to the set list," she laughed.

My mouth dropped. "Bella, this isn't a joke. What if you actually got pregnant?"

"Edward, I wasn't saying it like that…it's just…well, if I get pregnant, we'll come to that when it happens. I'm supposed to get my period in two weeks, and I promise you'll be the second to know when it happens, okay?"

"How are you being so calm about this?" I asked, attempting to keep the panic from surfacing in my voice.

"If I answer that question honestly, can you promise not to freak out?"

I nodded.

"Okay," she continued. "I don't think it would be the worst thing in the world to get pregnant." My mouth dropped open. I must have been staring at her like she head two heads. She was 22…I was barely 25. I was NOT ready to have a child. I was barely ready to have a girlfriend!

"Stop looking at me like that, Edward. Think about it from my perspective—I have no siblings, I have no parents…the closest thing to family I have is a boy who called me a whore. I'm not saying I'm actively trying to get pregnant by any means, but…if it happens, I'm going to let it happen." Bella continued. My mouth went completely dry.

"I…I, uh…" I had no idea what to say. What do you say to that? I felt like the worst boyfriend ever, but I just couldn't support her idea.

I refused to say, Awesome idea, Bella! Let's go have some kids. Because, fuck. It was NOT time for that. Having crazy sex with my gorgeous girlfriend? Sure! …but, no kids. Not yet. Definitely eventually. And most likely with Bella. …who are you kidding? Definitely with Bella. But DEFINITELY not yet.

"Edward, you're freaking out."

"Yeah, I am." I struggled for a breath. "I'm so fucking sorry, Bella, but you kind of caught me off guard there."

That was an okay answer, right?

"It's fine…let's just…make it through the next two weeks. We have six gigs in that span, and I have a bunch of songs that I wanted to add to the set…"

"So, we're not going to be having sex for the next two weeks, are we?

She laughed and shook her head. "No, definitely not."

BPOV

The next two weeks were torture. Edward was afraid to touch me, and it was made even more awkward with Alice and Rosalie purposely trying to get us alone all the time.

The most we had done in the past two weeks was make out…with minimal groping. I was getting restless; now that I had had Edward's touch, I positively craved it. However, I knew he was just pulling away to make it easier to stop. But…that pesky electric charge that flowed between us was back in full force and it was starting to REALLY make me anxious.

I should have just told Alice what was going on, but I just couldn't. I knew that she would panic and tell everyone, and I wasn't quite ready for that to happen just yet.

I had added a few songs to the set list to try and get some sort of cathartic release, but…they weren't helping THAT much. The first song was called "All Will Be Well," by the Gabe Dixon Band. The first time I played and sang it in rehearsal, Alice cried. She freaking cried. It was a beautiful song—definitely one of my favorites, and right now I was using it as my mantra.

_All will be well, even after all the promises we've broken to ourselves._

_All will be well, you could ask me how but only time will tell._

With each passing day, I could see Edward getting progressively tenser. I knew that he was secretly praying for me to get my period, though he would deny it furiously if I actually asked.

The second and third songs were my reassurance to Edward that, well, I still loved him, despite his response to my obviously unwanted declaration.

The first song was called "I Can't Stay Mad At You" by Skeeter Davis. We had modernized it to be less "Pop Hits of the 60s" and more Feedback style. I adored it.

_You can make me cry, you can break my heart_

_But I'll never say we're through_

_Even when I cry, I can't stay mad at you._

We added more bass and guitar with some heavier drums. It was super fun to sing, but after the first time I sang it, Edward had approached me tentatively. He dragged me into the kitchen at Jasper's while the others were downstairs chattering away.

"Bel," he began nervously, running his hands through his hair. "You don't honestly feel that way, do you?"

"Edward, it's just a song—" I rationalized. And it was. Honestly, I'd meant to reassure him, not make him feel guilty.

"It's not just a song, Bella. I…I NEVER want to make you cry, or break your heart. God, I love you so much," he said, wrapping his arms around my waist. I felt at ease for the first time in a few days. I loved having his arms around me—it felt like home.

Today was no different, apparently. I sang my third and final addition, Kate Voegele's "I Won't Disagree."

_'Cause lately you make me weaker in the knees, and race through my veins baby every time you're close to me_

_Take me away to places I ain't seen_

_They say you've got a hold on me', and I won't disagree_

As soon as my hands were off the keys, and Emmett and Jasper were commenting on how great it sounded, Edward was pulling me up the stairs to the kitchen.

His eyes smoldered, and I knew that he was missing our contact as much as I was. In an instant, I was pressed up against the cold refrigerator with Edward's lips on mine. I opened my mouth to greet his tongue, which was pushing against my teeth. Our tongues met, and the electricity multiplied tenfold. Every fiber of my being wanted to be against his. His hands pulled at my shirt, and I wished that we weren't at Jasper's in that second so I could strip down and press against Edward's bare skin. God, two weeks was a REALLY long time.

Well…to be more exact…two weeks and three days. I was three days late and counting. And NOW I was officially panicking. Clearly Edward was, too. I could feel the desperation and urgency behind his kiss, and I hoped to God that it wouldn't be our last one. The pregnancy test I had picked up was burning a hole in my purse, and I wanted nothing more than to take it and put this whole nightmare behind me...hopefully.

"Oh, shit. Fuck, sorry, guys!" Rosalie said walking into the kitchen and promptly out and back downstairs. I leaned back against the refrigerator and took a deep breath.

"Yeah, this probably isn't the best place for this."

"Bella," Edward gulped nervously. "You're late."

I really didn't want to have this conversation right now, but apparently that's what we were doing.

"Yes. I am," I replied, searching his eyes for some sort of emotion, but only finding a blank mask of indifference.

"What can I do?" he asked, his expression softening into one of concern. There's my Edward.

"Honestly, I know this probably isn't the best time for this, but…I picked up two pregnancy tests on the way here. Do you want to bring my purse up, and I'll just do it right now? I don't think I can wait any longer."

He nodded and quickly made his way downstairs to get my purse. I closed my eyes and attempted to get my emotions under control. I could under no condition cry right now.

"Pregnancy test?"

I jumped. Rosalie. Phew. I opened my eyes and nodded. She raced over to me and pulled me into a huge hug.

"Are you okay, Bella? Shit, I'm going to kill Edward. Fucking moron.

"You didn't go back downstairs," I said.

"Nope," she replied, ghosting her hands up and down my back. I rested my head on her shoulder and composed myself.

"Are you guys going to hook up again?" Edward asked, reentering the kitchen. I raised my head and scoffed.

"Only you could get excited at the prospect of a girl on girl hookup right before finding out if you're a father or not," I whispered. His face dropped, and he handed me my purse.

In the bathroom, I peed on both sticks. I'd heard of false negatives, and I wanted to be 100% sure of my results. Waiting for those five minutes were the longest five minutes of my entire life. I could hear Edward pacing outside the bathroom, and I was anxious that Emmett or Jasper would bound up the stairs any second now and figure out what was going on.

This experience was way too stressful for me. Edward was right…I don't think I was even remotely prepared to have a child. Maybe in theory, yes. But in actuality…fuck no. Eventually, yes. Eventually with Edward, definitely. But now? No. Please be negative, please be negative, I chanted to myself.

With two minutes left to wait, I decided to pee again. I had drank a lot of water, and my nerves always made me pee. Pulling down my pants, I squealed in excitement and threw the door open. Edward was standing there with a blank stare on his face, and I bounded into his waiting arms.

"I'm not pregnant!" I whisper yelled.

Edward pulled his head back. "But…there's still another minute on the timer?"

"It doesn't matter, I got my period!" I smiled into his chest.

Rosalie walked over to the tests and smiled. "Well, crisis averted, kids. No babies for you two," she said, throwing the tests into the trash.

"I love you, bunny," I said placing a small kiss on the underside of Edward's jaw. Mm, my favorite place. Wow, I couldn't wait to sleep with him again. I don't think I'd ever felt so relieved in my life.

We all meandered into the kitchen where I opened three beers in celebration. I had been refraining from alcohol—just in case—for the past two weeks, and I was in some serious need of a drink.

I was halfway through my beer when Alice and Emmett walked into the kitchen to join us.

"So, are we just not practicing today?" Emmett laughed.

"Nope, drinking was more important," Edward smirked. Emmett clapped a hand on his shoulder and nodded in approval.

"I like the way you're talking, broseph. You've been acting weird all week. I'm glad to see you loosening up a little. You know, you would be less tense if you were getting some ass," Emmett joked.

Edward scowled and looked like he was going to respond, so I placed my hand on the top of his thigh and squeezed lightly. They really didn't need to get into that argument right now.

I heard a strangled cry from the bathroom, and Jasper came walking into the kitchen with…OH MY FUCKING GOD. I am a complete moron.

"Um, Alice…is there something you want to tell me?" Jasper said, holding up my pregnancy test.

Way to dispose of the evidence, Bella.

Edward gripped my hand tightly in my lap.

Alice's mouth dropped as she ran over to Jasper. "Baby, that's not mine. I swear," she said, looking nervously at Rosalie.

Emmett turned a little green as he made eye contact with Rosalie, who flushed furiously. "First of all, that's negative, so wipe that look off of your face—"

Rosalie was going to cover for me. What an amazing friend.

"Second of all, it's not hers," I confessed.

All eyes in the room went to me in complete shock, especially Edward's. Oh well, I guess now was as good a time as ever, right?

"It's mine."

**Chapter End Notes: **

**Kaystu would absolutely stop reading this story if I made Bella pregnant. Bitch, please...girlfriend is a youngin. This will be an accidental pregnancy free story. Seriously.**

**Now...this was a really stressful chapter to write...what did you think? Leave some love :)**


	19. Chapter 19

**AN: I feel like by this point I should stop being surprised at the positive response I've had from this story, but I can't seem to -- seriously, I am BLOWN away. Your constant stream of reviews never fail to make me smile. **

**Not only that, but I just found out I was nominated for an Indie Twific Award in TWO categories (Best use of Comedy WIP and Best use of music WIP)…so, whoever nominated me—thank you, thank you, thank you!**

**Sidenote, to everyone who was upset with Bella and Edward in the last chapter -- THANK YOU! You SHOULD be upset with them. I, for one, thought they were both pretty irresponsible with how they handled the entire situation. Now you get to hear what their friends have to say about it :)**

EPOV

I sat there bracing myself for the explosion I knew was sure to come. My day had gotten too good to leave me unscathed. When Bella had come barreling out of the bathroom to tell me she wasn't pregnant, I thought I would die of sheer bliss. I mean, I loved the girl to death, but I'm pretty sure in the past few days, she had realized that she wasn't ready to have a child either.

And, boy, was I glad about that.

I knew that I was going to have to apologize to Bella profusely for my behavior over the past two weeks. Without a doubt, I realized that I was being a stupid, immature bastard about pulling away from her, but…hell, wasn't she being just as immature about not dealing with a possible pregnancy until her period may or may not show up? It was kind of like a punishment to myself to be so close to Bella and not be able to touch her. I mean, I knew rationally that if she were pregnant, she wouldn't be able to get MORE pregnant, and if she wasn't then we would continue to have safe sex, but…I just couldn't.

But now, I was going to relax and enjoy being with Bella. Baby free. And with two forms of birth control in the near future, I hoped we'd be 100% certain about that.

However, I think we were too caught up in our no-baby bliss to think more about the disposal of said results. And, fuck…that shit was bad. Rosalie was going to say it was hers—I heard it on the tip of her tongue, but NO…my girlfriend thought that NOW would be the PERFECT time to let everyone know that she was possibly pregnant…by me, her secret boyfriend.

Wonderful. Get ready for a world of hurt, Cullen.

I looked around the room and realized that no one had said anything yet. Why wasn't anyone threatening to kill me? Why wasn't I on the receiving end of punches and slaps and verbal abuse? And then…I heard Jasper's menacing growl from the doorway.

"Did he even know that you were possibly pregnant when he left?"

Emmett gasped. "Is that WHY he left? Oh, hell fucking no. I will END him."

I was confused. Why were the only people looking at me right now Rosalie and Alice? Bella's gaze turned from one of confidence to one of horror, and then it fucking hit me.

"The baby wouldn't have been Jake's!" I yelled pushing my chair away from the table and standing up quickly.

And then I was flat on my back.

Yep. That's more of what I was expecting.

Emmett was currently on top of me, punching the hell out my face. Not to say that I wasn't anticipating it. In fact, I was welcoming it over the verbal lashing I was receiving from Jasper.

"Are you fucking serious, man? You've always been my best friend, and I've always forgiven you for your…indiscretions…but right now I just can't! Bella's the best thing to happen to this group—even the bar owners admitted that—and you had to ruin it by being the most irresponsible, reckless, immature prick I know. What? You just decided that by not telling us, we'd forget about our rule? Fuck that. You're fucking out, man. You're fucking out…"

I heard Alice try and calm Jasper down, but even staring up at the ceiling I could tell that he was pacing a hole into the middle of his kitchen floor. Emmett's punches weren't getting any lighter either.

"You said she was like your SISTER, Edward. Your sister!"

"Emmett, get the fuck off of him!" Rosalie shrieked, attempting to pull him off of me. Thanks, Rose. Way to get in there and save me.

"Why should I?" he growled.

"Because I'm in love with him!" Bella yelled.

The room froze. Jasper's feet went silent, and Emmett paused mid-punch to turn around and gawk at her. I closed my eyes and took a deep breath. My face was bleeding, I could feel blood running from my nose down the side of my cheek, and I could without a doubt taste it inside my mouth. Hopefully all of my teeth were still in place.

I opened my swollen eyes to see Bella peering down at me. She grimaced, and I had a feeling that my face looked almost as bad as it felt. She squatted down beside me on the floor and put her cool hand up to my cheek.

"Oh, bunny—I'm sorry," she whispered.

I tried to shrug in apology, but I think it came off as more of a wince. The next thing I knew, she was helping me off the floor and back into the chair. I was trying to think about what to do or what to say, but my head was pounding so badly that it was hard to do anything except for concentrating on making the room stop spinning.

I heard Bella murmuring as she brought a wet washcloth to my face, probably to clean up what I'm sure was a bloody mess. It hurt like hell, but I gritted my teeth and let her do what she needed to do. The room was eerily silent besides Bella's soft cooing of, "it's okay, baby," interspersed with "I'm sorry."

I opened my eyes and was met with Bella's concerned ones, peering carefully into mine as she finished washing my face.

"I'm fine," I assured her, my voice cracking slightly.

"I'm sorry," she whispered again.

Jesus, what could she possibly have to be sorry about? This was ultimately my fault. I should have told Jasper and Emmett the second I knew I loved this creature of perfection sitting in front of me, but I was selfish and wanted to keep her all to myself. If anyone should be sorry, it should definitely be me.

"Bel, what could you possibly have to be sorry for?" I cocked my head to the side, trying to gauge her reaction.

"I just…" she began, one tear trickling down her cheek, "I know how much you love your face," she laughed, more tears spilling out of her eyes. She rested her head in the crook of my neck, and I couldn't help but put my arm around her and pull her closer to my side. She exhaled loudly, releasing the breath I knew she'd been nervously keeping in.

"Shit," Jasper whispered, pulling out a chair and joining us at the table.

I jumped slightly as Alice threw down a bag of frozen peas wrapped in a towel onto the table in front of me. "Put this on your jaw. It will help with the pretty. Because, we ALL know how much you love your face," she smiled apologetically.

Just then, Jasper's head whipped around to Alice. "How long have you known?" he asked her intently.

"Why do you think I'd know?" Alice frowned.

"Don't be coy, Alice. Let's have it. That way I can be mad at all of you and not take it all out on Edward."

"Rose knew, too!" Alice whined, pointing wildly at Rosalie, who was just shaking her head.

"Of COURSE we knew!" Rosalie sighed. "You two are fucking oblivious," she continued, pointing to Jasper and Emmett, whose mouths had both dropped open. "Alice and I figured it out even before these two did, so…yeah. We knew. And we totally approve."

Emmett tried to interject, but Rosalie wasn't having any of that.

Go, Rose.

"No. Shut the hell up and listen to me for a second. Haven't either of you noticed that Edward is less of a shit now than he was just three months ago? He actually behaves like a real person instead of an animal?" Emmett and Jasper made no move to respond, so she continued. "Yeah, that's what I thought. If you two weren't so invested in keeping Edward away from Bella, you MAY have noticed that she's the best thing that's ever happened to him. So…let's just be happy that he's finally come to his senses, and let's not ruin this by being dicks about it. Okay?"

Huh. I don't think Rosalie had ever stuck up for me before. And now that I think about it…this wasn't REALLY sticking up for me…more for Bella. Yup, we're officially back to normal.

Jasper cracked a small smile as Alice sat down on his lap. "I guess that's true. You are kind of less of an ass now," he sighed.

"No he's not," Rosalie and Bella said at the same time. After a second of silence, Alice, Jasper, Rosalie and Bella all broke into laughter. I couldn't help but join in.

"Thanks, guys. Really." I joked, rolling my eyes.

"Sorry, bunny, but it's true," Bella whispered, leaving small kisses on the stubble on the underside of my jaw. I tried not to shiver, but after two, self-inflicted Bella-less weeks, I couldn't help but revel in the feeling of her kissing my favorite spot. Plus, I loved that she was comfortable displaying her affection for me publicly already.

I turned my head towards her and reached down to kiss her lips. She sighed in happiness, and in that instant I wished that everyone else would disappear so I could deepen the kiss without fear for my life. However, I was still a little nervous about their reaction, so I pulled away. I saw the start of Bella's frown, so I grabbed her hand instead. Some contact was better than none, right?

"Holy Jesus, mother of God. Wow, this is so fucking weird," Jasper breathed, maintaining eye contact with me. "I'm…uh…I guess…shit, I don't even know what to say. When did this even happen? And how the HELL didn't I notice?" he continued surveying both Bella and me.

Bella smiled warmly at Jasper while still gripping my hand tightly. She was still pretty shaken up about the last two weeks of our life.

"I know I can't speak for Edward," she began, "but I wanted to make sure that it was real before letting you guys know. Trust me, it was never my intention to keep it from you…" she trailed off, moving her focus to Emmett, who was standing against the refrigerator, staring at the floor, looking deep in thought..

I realized all of a sudden that Emmett had yet to say ANYTHING (despite the destruction of my beloved face), and that was really making me fucking nervous. My big brother loved me, but I had a strong feeling that he loved Bella even more…his silence was all too telling of how he felt about us being together. And as much as I hated to admit it to myself, I REALLY wanted Emmett's approval.

"Em?"

"How long?" he asked, looking up slowly. I took in Emmett's expression and was taken aback by what I found there. Emmett wasn't pissed—I'd seen that face many times. No, Emmett was…sad? Disappointed? Hurt? I jumped in, figuring that honesty was probably the best policy around now.

"Um, the first night anything happened was the night that Jake left…"

Emmett turned to me with an expression of rage on his face. Whatever was there before had morphed into pure rage, and I was pretty terrified of my big brother for the first time in my life. "Nearly a month? You've been FUCKING under my roof for the past MONTH?" he seethed in my direction.

"Emmett, it wasn't like that, please—" Bella tried to interrupt.

"And YOU!" Emmett continued, turning to Bella. "I love you like you were my own sister…and you've been lying right in front of me for all this time? And then…you were stupid enough to have it all end up in a pregnancy test? Seriously, Bella—I thought you were smarter than that." Emmett almost made it to the door, attempting to leave when Bella sprang out of her seat to cut him off.

"Emmett, stop. Please, stop," she pleaded.

Fuck. This was NOT how I anticipated this all going down. Yes, I expected some anger and perhaps some physical abuse, but this? No way. Bella did NOT deserve to be talked down to like that.

"Emmett, sit the fuck down and let us explain, please. If you want to be mad at someone, be mad at me—it was all my idea anyway. But don't EVER talk to Bella like that."

"No, Edward, that's just not true. Everything that's ever happened between us, I completely instigated. You don't need to protect me," Bella whispered, clearly holding back tears.

I looked back to Emmett, whose eyes were completely focused on Bella and my intertwined hands. Huh. I hadn't even noticed that we were holding hands…or that I'd gotten out of my seat to comfort her. Shit, my body completely ceases to listen to my mind when Bella is involved.

"I should fucking kick you out of the band," Emmett mumbled under his breath.

"Emmett, listen," Bella began, pulling me closer to her. "I'm REALLY sorry for lying to you, but I can't be sorry about my relationship with Edward because I'm totally, completely, and utterly in love with him. Yes, we were both INCREDIBLY immature and selfish and careless…and believe me, I know that. Your shame and obvious disappointment in me is only the tip of what I deserve. But know this: I refuse to give up my relationship with Edward simply because you don't trust him. I DO, and that's all that matters. If you actually want what's best for ME, like you claim, you won't fight us on this. And I need you to know first and foremost that if you kick Edward out of the band, I'll be right behind him."

My heart swelled with pride, and I'm pretty sure my ego grew about three sizes. Not only was my girlfriend gorgeous and talented, but she was also smart and wanted to stand by me…no matter what.

I wrapped my arms around her waist, pulling her back against me and leaned in to whisper my gratitude in her ear.

Emmett stumbled numbly back to the table, taking his seat again and looked up at me and Bella and nodded his head slightly. "Okay."

"Okay?" Bella asked.

"Yeah," Emmett said, cracking a VERY slight smile. "Okay."

And just like that, Bella was flying out of my arms and sobbing into Emmett's shoulder. Oh, dear. There are those tears.

"Emmett, I'm SO sorry. I really do think of you like my brother—I meant it when I told you that I loved you, too. Can you forgive me, please?" Bella cried. I wanted to pull her into my arms and comfort her myself, but I knew that she needed Emmett's approval more than mine right now.

"I already said 'okay' Bella—honestly."

"Thanks, Em," I mouthed.

As Emmett wrapped his massive arms around Bella as she continued to cry out her frustration, he shook his head at me over her head. Although it was clear he couldn't stay mad at Bella, it looked like he COULD stay mad at me.

He pushed back and looked Bella in the eye. "Now, I know I'm going to seriously regret asking this, but as your pseudo older brother, I need to know about the pregnancy test so I can properly reprimand you. So…what the hell happened?"

Bella was still grappling with being able to breathe properly, so I jumped in to explain again. Running my hand through my hair uncomfortably, I began.

"Uhm…it was the night of Halloween…and we were all pretty wasted…and we'd already been, uh…together…for about a week at that point, so it was fucking hard as hell to stay away from her all night—"

Emmett made a face.

"Are you sure you want to hear this, Em?" I asked honestly. I mean, I wasn't comfortable talking about it, and he clearly wasn't comfortable hearing it…maybe we could just skip over it.

"No, keep talking," he said, still holding Bella, but avoiding looking at her at all costs.

"Okay, well…I guess since it was such a long party, we were feeling pretty…impatient…by the time everyone left." I paused, unsure of how to word the next sentence. Oh, well, Cullen—you've already gotten your ass kicked today…may as well jump in head first. "Anyway, we forgot to use a condom. As soon as I realized it, I told Bella, but…she had made the choice I guess to…well, wait it out and see what happened?"

Emmett's mouth dropped open as he pulled Bella back by her shoulders. "Is that true, Bella?"

She nodded weakly.

"Okay, now it's time for the reprimanding. First—it doesn't matter how wasted you are—USE A CONDOM. And second—haven't you fucking heard of Plan B? There's a morning after pill for a reason!" Emmett yelled.

"Of course I know, Emmett. But at the time…I was just an idiot. I thought that I would see how I felt if I actually turned out to be pregnant…" Bella said quietly, the room completely captivated by the discussion.

"You know that's absolutely moronic, right? You are JUST out of college. You're in a band, for Christ's sake. How would you be able to support a child? Your boyfriend is EDWARD. Does he look like he's ready to be a father?" Emmett said, his voice getting progressively louder.

"I know," Bella breathed softly.

"Em, let it go. It's over, and we're not going to be morons about it again. It was really fucking scary, but it's not going to happen again," I said, hoping to calm Emmett down.

Emmett looked like he was ready to ream me another one when Alice jumped in. Thank God. I was wondering when my favorite sister was going to stick up for me. Thanks for that, by the way, Alice.

"Emmett—they know what they did was stupid. They've both apologized for hiding their relationship from you, and now it's time to move on. Now," Alice smirked, coming at me with my phone, "it's time to call mom and let her know that Bella's going to be coming home to Chicago as your girlfriend," she squealed.

I groaned loudly. Of course I should let my mom know…but…I had just been through the emotional wringer. I wasn't ready to talk to my mom. Unfortunately, the phone was already ringing when Alice held it up to my ear.

"Edward! What a surprise!" my mom said excitedly. I had really been lacking on my weekly phone calls to her with everything that was on my mind. I hadn't realized how much I missed her voice. Uncontrollably, my face broke out into a huge smile.

"Hey, Mom."

"Hi, Esme!" Jasper shouted from across the table.

"Tell Jasper I say hello, as well, please," she chuckled.

"Mom says 'hey,' Jasper," I relayed.

His own smile grew. "I'm her favorite child," he boasted.

"Not true!" my mom interrupted.

"Should I just put you on speaker, mom? Everyone's here…"

"Of course!" my mom chirped. Just like Alice. I put the phone flat on the table and pressed the speaker button.

"Okay, you're on speaker."

"Hi, kids!"

"Hey, Mom!" Alice and Emmett said. Alice raised her eyebrow pointedly at me, and I groaned again.

"Edward? Is everything okay?" my mom asked worriedly.

"Yup. Everything is great, Mom…there…um…there's just someone else here who wanted to say hi to you," I said, winking at Bella, who was still curled up on Emmett's lap.

"Hi, Mrs. Cullen," Bella began shyly, blushing furiously, of course.

"Bella! It's so nice to finally put a voice to the pictures Alice has been sending me!" Bella blushed even further, glaring slightly at Alice, who simply shrugged. "And, Bella—Mrs. Cullen is Carlisle's mother—PLEASE, call me Esme."

"Of course…Esme," Bella said.

"Bella, I can't tell you how excited I am to meet you next week!"

"Yeah, Mom," I interjected. "I'm really excited for you to meet my girlfriend finally..."

"Your girlfr—AHHHHH!" My mother's scream pierced the air of the kitchen, echoing around the room. "It's about damn time, Edward!"

We all burst into hysterical laughter, finally easing the awkward tension that had been there since Jasper came running out of the bathroom, pregnancy test in hand. It felt good. REALLY, really good.

"Carlise! Carlise!" my mom screamed from the other line. I should have probably taken her off speaker, but everyone was enjoying the dialogue, so I kept it open.

"What's wrong, Esme?" I heard my dad calling from somewhere in the house.

"Nothing! Everything is PERFECT! Edward's bringing home a girlfriend for Thanksgiving!" my mom continued, glee evident in her voice.

Well, great. Now I was starting to feel really guilty. Apparently my mother knew about my man-whoring ways. What a treat.

My dad scoffed over the line, and everyone else's laughter increased on my side of the line.

"Really?" my dad asked, clearly disbelieving.

"Yes, she's on the line right now!" my mom attempted to whisper. I heard the shuffling of the phone and finally my dad's voice came in clearly over the other line.

"Edward?"

"Hey, Dad."

"What did I tell you about lying to your mother?" he said. "It's not nice to get her this excited…"

"Sup, Dad?" Emmett bellowed into the phone.

"Emmett!" Wow, excited much, Dad? Well—it's not really a surprise that Emmett is Dad's favorite.

"Yeah, so—listen up. There's someone who wants to say something to you," Emmett said, nudging Bella in the ribs. I smirked at the scene. Finally, someone else for Emmett to pick on. Thank you, Bella.

"Hi, Dr. Cullen," she began with more confidence that she had with my mom. "This is Bella…Edward's girlfriend?"

"Holy fucking shit!" my dad spewed over the line.

"Now I know where your swearing habit comes from," Bella laughed, her eyes twinkling.

"Edward, I'm sorry…it's just…I…we…Fuck. Wow. I didn't think this day would actually ever come…" my dad continued laughing in between every word.

"Thanks for the vote of confidence, everyone," I scowled.

"Well, Bella," my dad said, putting extra emphasis on her name, "I can't wait to meet you next week. Edward, I'm going to put your mom back on before she gives herself an aneurism."

The phone shuffled again, and my mom returned to the line. I could hear her muffled sobs. "God, Mom…are you crying?"

"No…" she sniffed. "I'm just so happy…wait, so…should I still make up the guest bedroom for her, or will she just be staying in your room?"

"His room—" Bella said, jumping in before I could even say anything. My mom laughed. "I mean…I wouldn't want you to go through the trouble of setting up another room when it's really not necessary…" she trailed off.

"Mmhmm. Sure, sweetheart," my mom beamed. I couldn't see her face, but I knew my mom's grin had to be as big as mine right now.

"Okay, we're going to get going, Mom."

"See you next week, everyone!"

A chorus of "bye, Mom" and "bye, Esme" rang throughout the kitchen.

"Thanks for that, Alice," I said, putting the phone back into my pocket.

"Any time!" she smiled.

"So…is practice just shot to shit today?" Rosalie asked.

"Absolutely not. Lets go back downstairs and add some love songs to the set list," I laughed. "Now we can take 'Dirty Little Secret' off the set list."

I winked at Bella, whose blush returned to my utter delight. God, I loved that I knew how to play her body.

Jasper scowled as he looked back and forth between Bella and me. "Ugh, wait…really?"

Bella nodded, climbing off of Emmett's lap and finally making her way over to me.

"I feel so dirty…" Jasper said, mostly to himself.

Alice shoved his shoulder. "Says the man who was secretly screwing his best friend's little sister for a year…"

"Ha!" I said, jumping up and wrapping my arms around Bella again. "See—you can't even get mad at me! What you did was SO much worse!"

"Okay, let's not have this fight…" Emmett said, fidgeting in his seat, clearly getting uncomfortable again.

I looked down at Bella, who was radiating happiness off of her. I couldn't help but lean down and kiss her softly. I was about to pull away when I felt her tongue sweep across my bottom lip. Who was I to deny the girl I loved what she obviously wanted?

I parted my lips slightly, welcoming her tongue to touch mine. She whimpered slightly, and in that moment, the rest of the world ceased to exist. I was Bella's and Bella was mine—and I could FINALLY shout it from the rooftops. My hands slid down to the back pockets of her jeans and pulled her flush against me. Her hands moved up to the back of my neck, and I shivered again at the sensation of her nails gently scraping at the base of my scalp.

Needing air, I finally pulled away from her. She pouted, and I could resist pressing my lips to hers one more time. I cradled her smiling face to my chest and looked at everyone's gaping faces.

"Hey, guys?" I smiled. "I am in love with Bella."

"No shit, Sherlock," I heard Bella mumble into my chest.

"Just thought they'd want to hear it," I smirked.

"You're incorrigible," Rosalie laughed, rolling her eyes at me.

"So…" Bella started, her eyes wide with curiosity and mischief, "what songs were you thinking of adding? Because…I may or may not want some of the soundtrack songs on our set list…" she rambled.

"What soundtrack?" Emmett asked.

"You really don't want to know, Emmett," I laughed as I brought my attention back to Bella, who was still listing songs as we made our way back into the rehearsal room.

"I was thinking of maybe Dashboard Confessional, 'Don't Wait,' and The Doors, 'Moonlight Drive,'…thoughts?" she asked.

"Did anyone ever tell you that you have excellent taste in music, Miss Swan?" I laughed, pushing a stray hair out of her eyes.

"My boyfriend tells me all the time," she laughed, kissing my cheek before taking her spot at the keyboard.

"Jesus," Emmett grumbled. "They're worse than all of us combined!"

"It's okay, though," I smiled, "because we're in love."

"So we've heard," Jasper said, rolling his eyes.

I smiled as I made eye contact with Bella freely. How was it possible for this small thing to have me wrapped so far around her finger that I wouldn't complain about introducing her to my family? And in that instant, I knew that despite what we had been through, this day had just become one of the best I'd ever had.

**Chapter End Notes: **

**So...Emmett's a little pissed still, but everyone else seems okay with it. Want to know how it plays out? Reviews make write more and faster :) Yes...flattery will get you EVERYWHERE! Love you, guys!**


	20. Chapter 20

**AN: Sorry this took forever to get out – I didn't have internet over the weekend…hopefully everyone had a really Happy 4****th**** of July (well, everyone in America, I guess).**

**Okay, here's a little bit of fluff after the stress of the last chapter – hope you enjoy :)**

BPOV

Coming out to Emmett and Jasper was one of the most stressful experiences I had ever been through. I had anticipated that it wouldn't go over…well…that well, but I hadn't expected Edward's face to be bashed in, or Emmett to go completely ape shit.

Not that Edward didn't look amazing all roughed up. Yeah, I know I'm a freak…what can I say? My boy looked hot with a black eye and a swollen lip. I guess I'm a sucker for someone who'll defend me. And although I had gotten my period and he couldn't necessary pleasure ME, I couldn't keep my hands off of him. In fact, we seized the opportunity of him being less than 100% to play doctor. No…Edward had NOT complained at being my patient…not at all.

It was especially nice to be able to take care of him in public, though. Edward and I were out. Everyone knew…including his family. That was an awkward phone call to say the least. But, I couldn't be more excited to finally meet Esme…well 95% excited…5% nervous. In reality, this was the first time I was meeting "the parents," (because I had known Billy my entire life), and I was only slightly terrified that they would have an Emmett-like response.

Yes, things between Emmett and Edward hadn't completely thawed out yet. Apparently Emmett had decided to forgive me on the spot, however, he couldn't say the same to Edward. I begged him to forgive him, but he just rolled his eyes and pretended that he already had. Unfortunately, I knew better. But there wasn't anything I could say to make it better, so I was going to let the boys work it out themselves. In our free time, though, we threw ourselves back into the band.

Edward and I had finally come up with a new set, and tonight would be our first night playing through it. Although the bar offered to give us the night off (because we were all heading to Chicago tomorrow), I wanted nothing more than to play through the set and _finally_ have my way with Edward backstage.

Tonight would be my first night off of my period, and I had taken my first pill this morning. Of course I learned that the pill doesn't go into effect until after the first month…so, we would still have to use condoms. Not that I had a problem with that…in fact, I'm pretty sure that for the next six months we could use condoms and be perfectly fine with it.

Coming back to the present, I heard my name called from on stage and meandered out to the waiting crowd.

I was excited to show them the changes to our set…hopefully they loved the songs as much as Edward and I did.

**The Donnas – Take It Off**

Our first new song of the set was…well…pretty explanatory. Yes, it was on our soundtrack of songs we wanted to have sex to, and we hadn't exactly gotten around to it with the whole pregnancy scare and the whole coming out to his family thing, so…this was my way of temporarily compromising.

_I'm on my second drink, but I've had a few before_

_I'm trying hard to think, and I think that I want you on the floor_

_Uh huh, yeah on the floor_

_Go on and take it off! You better shake it off baby for me…_

_Go on and break me off! Cause I get what I want, and I like what I see…_

Even though Emmett was still having a really hard time with the notion of me and Edward being together, Jasper thought it was absolutely hilarious. Apparently, like Alice, he had some sixth sense that we would end up finding one another. This song always made him laugh, especially when I used my feminine wiles to seduce Edward on stage.

I caressed the head of the microphone with my glossed mouth while staring Edward down. I saw him begin to squirm slightly, and even though we had been practicing for a week, his fingers definitely missed a few notes. His eyes were glued to my body as I swayed my hips back and forth, and I even saw him attempt to look down my shirt when I leaned over slightly. Now, I don't want to brag, but I knew that without a doubt after this set, I was going to be getting some.

**Phantom Planet – Is This Really Happening To Me?**

God, every time Edward sang this, I swooned. I guess the on stage seduction went both ways, haha.

_Turn on the lights—could you pinch me, shake me, scream at me loud?_

_Cause for my life, I couldn't tell you if I'm kissing you now…I just don't know…_

_Tell me please—is this really happening to me?_

Swoon, right? Edward told me that he wanted to add it to the set list because every time we were together, he wasn't sure if it was real or a dream. He always talks about how lucky he is to have me…and, well, I still can't believe that we've officially been "together" for a month. I mean…I agree. Is this really happening to me?

Fuck, yes, it is. And I couldn't be happier about it.

**Cake – Love You Madly**

Another song off of the soundtrack, of course. Edward's choice, naturally. When I told Edward that I couldn't listen to it without thinking of Jason Segal's penis (because it's the opening song to _Forgetting Sarah Marshall_), Edward just argued that he was determined to change that.

_I don't want to wonder if this is a blunder_

_I don't want to worry whether we're going to stay together til we die_

_I don't want to jump in unless this music's thumping_

_All the dishes rattle in the cupboards when the elephants arrive_

_I want to love you madly…I want to love you now…_

Sigh. Yup, no more Jason Segal penis association at all. Well, not that much anymore, anyway. God, Edward's eyes just smoldered with lust and anticipation at this song. Why did he have to make everything so damn sexy? I felt a rush of moisture to my panties, and I was starting to think that I wasn't going to be able to make it to the end of the set to wait to touch him.

In fact, as Edward continued to sing, I wandered over to his side of the stage and began dancing towards him. I heard the air leave his lungs in a large breath, and I laughed lightly. I turned around and before I knew it, he pulled me into him. Playing along, I ground my ass into his hips where I could now feel his erection straining through his jeans. Well, good. If I was going to have to be waiting, wet and uncomfortable for him, then…at least he could be right there with me.

**The Doors – Love Me Two Times**

The guitar part of this song was incredible, so I got the chance to sing, leaving all of Edward's focus on the guitar. I put the microphone back on the stand, so I could sing in between Edward and Jasper for this song.

_Love me two times, baby, love me twice today…_

_Love me two times, boy_

_One for tomorrow…one just for today_

_Love me two times, I've gone away_

I enjoyed riling Edward up by singing this song to both him and Jasper. After I told him about my mini-crush on Jasper, he was especially sensitive about it. It made me laugh because obviously Jasper was so in love with Alice that he had never noticed my infatuation with him, and also, there was most obviously no one else for me but Edward.

He scowled every time I turned to Jasper, but I think he just played it off as concentrating really hard on the guitar…I knew better. I was beginning to know Edward's facial expressions better than anyone. Even Alice admitted that she could no longer decipher our wordless conversations, of which we had many.

**King Harvest – Dancing In The Moonlight**

This was by far our cheesiest song on the set list, but for some reason Edward and I were both in love with it at the moment. I guess it also helped that it was pretty much about sex.

_We get it on most every night when that moon gets big and bright_

_It's a supernatural delight_

_Everybody was dancing in the moonlight…_

Emmett scowled his way through this song, too, because he was forced to play the tambourine. Poor Emmett. He was really feeling the brunt of Edward and my relationship. However, I was determined to win Emmett over during Thanksgiving. If nothing else, I needed Emmett to be okay with Edward again. I was really starting to miss my overprotective big brother. Instead I had a sullen, cranky, slightly schizophrenic guy to contend with.

**Bobby Darin – Dream Lover**

_Every night I hope and pray a dream lover will come my way_

_A girl to hold in my arms and know the magic of her charms_

_Cause I want a girl to call my own_

_I want a dream lover so I don't have to dream alone_

This song addition was ALL Edward. I didn't understand why he would want such an old school kind of song in his very modern, edgy set.

I loved Edward's voice probably more than a LOT of things, but I had no idea that he was capable of a soft, crooning voice like Bobby Darin. The first time he suggested, I actually balked at the idea of his gritty voice tearing up the song. But, oh, was I wrong.

In fact, Edward admitted that he only wanted the song on the set was because he had to put up with all of my dreams and sleep talking. He told me how every night for the entire month he had to sleep next to me and listen to my incessant sleep ramblings, he imagined that I was dreaming of him in vivid detail. At the time, he had no idea how right he really was.

Of course, I now made him sing it to me before going to sleep almost every night. God, I loved that boy.

**Kelly Clarkson – My Life Would Suck Without You**

Self explanatory? I laugh every time I sing it because I am a closet Kelly Clarkson fan. Yes, I watched Season 1 of _American Idol_, and I even called in to vote for Kelly because I'd be damned if anyone put "idol" in the same sentence as Justin Guarini. And over the years, my love for Kelly had just grown. Edward, however…felt differently. Apparently he LOATHES Kelly Clarkson. But…he loves me, so when I suggested it, he grimaced and said, "fine."

That even got Emmett to smile at Edward, while he simply chuckled, "Wow, Edward is OWNED," and continued laughing to himself.

It closed our set, which I absolutely adored. We changed it from a techno beat to an actual drumbeat, which was pretty awesome. And Edward gave it a grittier guitar sound to try and make it a little less Kelly Clarkson style. However, I just smiled at him while I sang it and he couldn't help but smile back. He told me that he would do anything to make me happy—and I was finally starting to really believe it.

_Guess this means your sorry, you're standing at my door_

_Guess this means you take back all you said before_

_Like how much you wanted anyone but me_

_Said you'd never come back, but here you are again_

_Cause we belong together now, yeah._

And this is why I love my boyfriend.

As soon as we were offstage, I couldn't control myself any longer. I was dying to touch Edward, and I knew that he was feeling the same way. An hour-long set should really not feel that long. As I saw Edward clear the corner, I fisted my hands at the hem of his shirt and brought us both up against the backstage wall on the opposite side of the bar, where we could be carefully hidden from anyone's view.

His lips crashed into mine, and it took every ounce of control in me not to moan at the contact. His tongue didn't even wait a second before pushing into my mouth and seeking out mine. As I massaged his tongue with mine softly, he moved his hands from bracing himself against the wall to either side of my waist. His hands followed the motion of his tongue, gently massaging my hips into the wall. It was sweet, sweet bliss, and I could feel myself getting progressively wetter with each passing second his hands were on me. His fingers pulled upwards and brushed over my chest, and I couldn't control myself anymore. I threw my head back, gasping for air as a quiet moan escaped my lips.

Edward grinned my favorite half smile as he applied more pressure to my breasts, running his thumbs over my achingly hard nipples. _Good God, I really needed this._

"I missed you tonight," he said in between kisses, moving one of his hands underneath the hem of my skirt.

I smiled against his mouth. "I missed you, too," I said, pulling him by the hair, guiding him back to my mouth.

"Oh, fuck, guys…sorry!" I heard Jasper stutter from behind Edward. Unfortunately, Edward pulled back and turned around, still keeping me pinned to the wall. I couldn't see it, but I knew that he was grinning at Jasper.

"Sorry, Edward…it's just been a while since this has happened," Jasper laughed. "As you were!" he yelled walking back out across the stage, leaving us alone again.

I was going to laugh at the ridiculousness of the situation, but when I looked up, Edward's eyes were practically burning a hole into my skin. His thumbs continued moving across my thigh and breast again, and I felt a wave of heat rush up my entire body.

"Do you have a condom?" I asked, biting my lip nervously.

"Are you sure?" he asked. I nodded wordlessly, and his eyes turned darker.

_Oh, God. Those were my knees giving out. Be glad you're being held up right now because that would be extremely embarrassing._

"Fucking hell, yes…" Edward groaned, pulling a small silver packet out of his wallet. I rolled my eyes at his predictability, but I couldn't help but be overjoyed. I had worn a skirt for a specific purpose tonight, and I was going to utilize it.

All of a sudden, I was being lifted up onto a stool. I laughed at Edward's resourcefulness.

"Perfect height, see?" he said, pushing my legs, which were now propped up on one of the higher bars on the stool, apart to accommodate him in between them.

"Mmhmm," I said, wetting my lips with the tip of my tongue. "Perfect," I moaned, leaning back into the wall as he slid one of his hands up my skirt again closer to my waiting core. Torturously slow, he crept his hand higher. I tried to push forward on the stool into his hand, but Edward's other hand kept a firm grip on my hip, keeping me in place. "Please…" I groaned, just wanting his hand to slip another inch.

"Please, what?" he asked, dragging his fingers back and forth the inside of my thigh, literally an INCH away from where I needed him the most.

"Edward, stop teasing…" I said, looking up him through my mascara coated lashes. And just like that, his magical, dexterous fingers slid underneath my underwear and into my wetness. I leaned forward into Edward's chest, allowing him to reach me at the perfect angle. After literally SECONDS, I was begging to come. I needed a release so badly. It felt like months since Edward's hands had done anything to me.

"Shit, yes…Edward!" I whimpered against his chest. I was so fucking close.

Then, like a vicious harpy, he removed his fingers. I looked up, completely confused as to why he would do something as cruel to me as that. It was then that I saw him rolling on the condom.

He shrugged as he said, "I'm sorry, okay?"

I quirked my head to the side, attempting to figure out why he was apologizing for getting ready to have sex with me. Apparently, Edward could read my mind because he continued, "I'm apologizing in advance, Bel—this is going to be over REALLY quickly."

I giggled as he positioned himself underneath my skirt and pulled my underwear to my ankles as he pulled my hips to the edge of the stool. "That's okay," I whispered, bringing his mouth to mine. "We'll work on stamina later."

"Sure," Edward breathed as he sheathed himself inside me. "All…night…long…" he said with each thrust into me.

God, I wasn't going to last long at ALL at this rate. I could already feel my climax building from his earlier ministrations. Now with his incessant pounding and the notion that anyone could walk back here and find us…shit, I was ready to explode.

I tried to hold off, knowing that my climax was likely to spur his. In fact, we were both trying REALLY hard NOT to come. It was kind of comical, really. Two minutes later, though, his hand was underneath my skirt again, and I was completely done for. I shuddered hard, leaning my head into his chest once again to stifle my moaning.

"Bella…" I heard Edward groan as he spilled into me. He pulled out and removed the condom, throwing it in the garbage. Yay for no more flushing it down the toilet. We were totally free to have sex now.

I hopped off the stool and pulled up my underwear, while Edward burst out laughing. "I'm…so…fucking sorry!" he sputtered in between his laughter. I couldn't help but join in, too. I ran and jumped up into his arms, wrapping my legs around his waist, laughing into the crook of his neck.

"Seriously, it's not a problem." I smiled, kissing his shoulder through his shirt. "Ready to go home? Round 2 awaits…"

Edward ran one of his hands through his hair and frowned. "We need to pack for tomorrow. Our flight is kind of early."

_Oh, yeah. Chicago. Family. Tomorrow. Eeek!_

"Boo," I frowned. "Come over and help me pack, and then we'll take everything to your apartment after," I suggested. "We're all leaving from your apartment anyway…it's just more convenient that way."

He smiled broadly and kissed my sweaty forehead. _Yuck. That's love for you, right there._

"Sounds good to me. Let's head out. Our vacation awaits," he said, sliding me back to the ground.

"I'm driving!" I yelled, pulling his Volvo key out of his pocket and running out the door into the crisp November air. All of a sudden I was being lifted into the air and spun around and pushed up against the car door.

"Fine," Edward grumbled. "But only because I really do owe you for that ghastly performance just now."

Just then, Emmett came running up to the car beside us. "Hey, guys—hold up!" he called.

This was interesting. Emmett had painstakingly avoided spending time with Edward and me together over the past week. If he was looking for a confrontation, I wasn't sure I was ready for that.

"What's up, Em?" I smiled, keeping my tone friendly.

"Uh…" Emmett began looking at the ground and shoving his hands in his pockets. "I was wondering if I could get a ride home with you two?"

"We're actually going to Bella's first so she can pack…" Edward said nervously.

"But you're more than welcome to come with us if you want?" I suggested.

And then, magically, my big brother was back. Emmett smiled as he ran around to the other side of the car. "Shotgun!" he screamed as I slid into the driver's seat.

"Hey! I'm not riding in the back of my own car!" Edward whined.

"Oh, stop being such a little bitch, BUNNY," Emmett smiled, holding the back door open for Edward.

"I told her to stop calling me that, but she just won't…" Edward slid in, grumbling the entire way. Emmett turned around in his seat and clapped a large hand on Edward's shoulder, and finally both brothers smiled at one another.

As I pulled out of the parking lot, I smiled at Emmett's reconciliation with us. It was so typically Emmett. Now everything was finally perfect, and all I had to do was meet the parents.

**Chapter End Notes:**

**Thanksgiving is up next! What's your family's Thanksgiving tradition? In my family, all the "kids" go and see a movie together while the grown-ups clean up and drink. This past year, we watched Twilight ;)**


	21. Chapter 21

**AN: Thanks to everyone who shared their Thanksgiving traditions with me. I worked a few of them in :)**

**Here it is...the meeting of the parents. I hope you all enjoy them as much as I did ;)**

**A HUGE shout out first, though, to all those new readers who stopped to review every chapter. I know I don't respond to all of the reviews (my internet is currently out, and I've had to stake out a table at starbucks just to post this chapter!), but I love each and every one.**

EPOV

I, Edward Cullen, hate flying. In fact, I despise it. It's not my fault, but I'm petrified of crashing (blame it on my addiction to LOST). Usually I would pass out as soon as I sat down in order to avoid having to deal with actual flying time, but my VERY nervous girlfriend was not allowing that today.

Bella would not stop fidgeting for the entire three hour and fifty minute flight to Chicago. Finally I put my hand on her bouncing knee to attempt to calm her. "Bel, what are you so worked up about?" I asked.

She looked up at me with panicked eyes. "Edward, these are the first parents I'm ever going to have to meet. I'm super awkward—how do I even behave? Do you have any Thanksgiving traditions that I should be aware of? I feel like I haven't been prepped properly. Go!" she rambled.

"Bella, you are the first girl I have ever brought home to meet my parents…ever. In the history of my life, this is a momentous occasion for my parents, especially my mother. You really don't need any preparation. I love you, so they will love you, too."

She frowned and pushed my shoulder. God, that girl has quite the arm on her. I sighed in defeat. "Really…you want to be prepped?"

She nodded. "Okay, my dad is a doctor. He used to be one of the most prestigious cardiovascular surgeons in Chicago, but when I was born, he decided that he wanted to open his own general health practice so he could spend more time with our family."

"That's so sweet," Bella smiled, calming down a little bit.

"Yeah. He's a real sweetheart," I scoffed. "My dad is Emmett times twenty, if you want to let THAT marinate for a second." She rolled her eyes. "No, I'm serious, Bel. He swears more than I do, bets on more things than Alice, and has his mind constantly in the gutter." I paused. "That said, he's a fucking genius. He'll love you because you're hot AND will be able to keep up with him in a real conversation."

"Okay, well…what about your mom, Edward? She loves you more than life itself…I just…don't want to be a disappointment…" she trailed off, restarting her nervous leg bouncing.

I clamped my hand down on her thigh, effectively stopping the twitching. "Bella, stop worrying, please. My mom already loves you. You could show up with a wooden eye and scales for skin, and she'd still think you were God's gift to earth. Now, please, can we focus on making ME feel better now? I fucking hate flying," I groaned.

An evil glint appeared in Bella's eyes as she ghosted her palm over the crotch of my jeans. "Oh, my poor bunny," she mocked. "How will we ever take your mind off of flying?"

I gulped loudly. "Umm, I don't know…" _Please be what you're thinking; please be what you're thinking._

"We should probably head to the bathroom and take care of that," she giggled, glancing down at my crotch and pressing her palm into me harder.

_YES. Score one for Cullen._

"We are now about to make our final descent into Chicago," a loud voice came over the speaker. "Please fasten your seatbelts and put your chairs in the upright position."

I frowned. Great. Guess not. Nope, now I'm just going to have to greet my parents with a hard on. Thanks, Bella.

"Sorry," I heard her sigh calmly as she leaned into my shoulder.

_Of course NOW she's calm. Pssht._

Making our way off the plane, Bella locked my hand in a death grip. Just then, Emmett spotted my dad standing by the baggage claim, and they both ran in fake slow motion towards one another. So ridiculous. Alice was next to run forward, locking both Emmett and my dad in one of her massive hugs.

I looked around for Jasper and Rosalie for some significant other moral support, but they were conveniently getting our bags off of the carousel. I gave Bella's hand another squeeze and took a step forward, calling out to my dad.

"Hey, Dad—Happy Thanksgiving…" I said warily. He unlocked himself from Alice's embrace and made his way over to Bella and me. In a not so subtle move, my dad started checking out Bella. Like…not just an innocent look up and down. No—my dad full on CHECKED her out, pausing ever so slightly at her boobs. Fucking perv.

He nodded to me—apparently father approved, and then released his full-blown smile on Bella. Instantly, Bella's hand loosened in mine. I looked at her…she was now the picture of calm. Of course, I should have known. Bella gets stage fright. But now that she was "on stage" so to speak, she would be fine. I let go of her hand as she stepped forward to shake my dad's hand.

"Dr. Cullen, I'm Bella—it's so nice to meet you," she smiled. He looked at her hand and then wrapped her into a hug.

_Um, hey there, handsy! That is my fucking girlfriend!_

I frowned at their hug, which lasted a few seconds past the appropriate length.

"It's Carlisle, Bella," he said, winking at her. I pulled Bella back into my side, wrapping my arm around her shoulders.

"Carlisle…looking good, as always!" Rosalie said, finally rolling up with our bags and Jasper in tow.

"Ah, the lovely Rosalie. Still keeping Emmett in line?"

"You bet your ass she is!" Emmett bellowed, scooping her up into his arms.

"Emmett, put me down! You fucking prick!" Rosalie retaliated, kicking her legs wildly.

I laughed, but I realized that Bella had been oddly silent. _Oh, no. Did my dad scare her away? Of course he did._

I looked down at her questioningly. Her eyes were still trained on my dad, who had now turned around to help Jasper with our bags. Then, Bella did the fucking unthinkable. Her eyes followed my dad's every movement, lingering slightly on his ass as he bent over to pick up a suitcase, and then she blushed. Bella was checking out my dad. Hardcore. Blood pooled in her cheeks and her eyes sparkled, giving her the lusty glow I thought was reserved solely for me.

I nudged Bella in the ribs, and she finally looked back up at me, embarrassed at being caught. I was about to ask her what the hell she was thinking when she grabbed my hand and pulled us towards everyone else.

The car ride was just as bizarre. Dad insisted that Bella ride shotgun, so I was forced to sit next to Alice and Jasper in the back while Bella and my dad flirted the entire 45 minute car trip back to our house (Emmett had rented a Hummer for himself, of course).

Alice leaned on me and whispered, "What's up, Grumpward?" while ruffling my hair in a really annoying gesture.

I grunted in response, shoving her hand away from my hair, keeping my ears and eyes trained on the singing duo up front. Alice followed my eye line and started giggling uncontrollably.

"There's nothing funny about this, Alice."

"Yes, there is, Edward! " she whispered. "You can't seriously be jealous of Dad…it's who he is. It's who YOU are."

I huffed in annoyance, knowing she was right, and Bella turned around to see what I was doing. Seeing my pouting, she simply flashed me a smile and continued talking to my dad.

When we arrived at the house, my mom accosted me before the car even came to a stop.

"Edward!" my mom cried, wrenching the car door open and pulling me out into a huge hug. I smiled and squeezed her tightly in response. I'm not ashamed to admit it…I love my momma. She pulled back and looked me up and down.

"Edward, you don't look so good, honey…didn't you get any sleep on the plane?"

"Um, no…" Bella's voice called from the opposite side of the car. "That was my fault, I'm sorry! I didn't know he was a bad flyer."

Just then my dad and Bella came around to the other side of the car, arm in arm. My dad looked down at Bella and laughed (at my expense, of course). "Oh, yeah. Edward can't fly for shit." I rolled my eyes. "Just remind me to prescribe you a Xanax before heading back," he smiled.

"Hey, Dad—I think you have something that belongs to me," I said, reaching for Bella. Her eyes lingered on my dad, but she made her way back into my arms. I possessively wrapped my arms around her waist.

_Yeah. What now, Dad? Mine._

My dad just ran a hand through his hair and jogged up the stairs to gossip with Emmett about God knows what.

"Thank you so much for having me, Esme," Bella blushed, still situated in my grasp.

My mom beamed at us, her smile so wide, I thought her face might stick that way permanently. "It's no problem at all, Bella—we're so glad you could make it. Here, come inside—it's freezing out! Edward, be a gentleman and take Bella's luggage upstairs, please."

"Yes, ma'am," I smirked, grabbing both Bella's bags and mine before she could protest. Seizing the opportunity, my mom jumped in to talk to Bella, pulling her into the house.

BPOV

Meeting Edward's parents was something else. Honestly, when I first met Carlisle I thought I was going to pass out from all the good looks. He was HOT…like…Edward hot. Now I knew where Edward's good looks came from. Edward was literally a spitting image of his father, if Edward was blonde with blue eyes.

Just…my GOD. Seeing them both there together, I didn't know which one to look at. I had Edward's arms around me, but I wouldn't have minded being wrapped up in Carlisle's for a little bit longer…or both at the same time?

_Shame on you, Bella! That's dirty._

_Whatever._

After meeting Esme (who was just the sweetest thing to ever exist), I finally took in my surroundings. Their house was HUGE…a massive mansion. Edward hadn't prepped me for this at all. Sure, he had warned me about Carlisle's swearing problem (which I just found endearing) and Esme's energy (now I knew where Alice got it from, at least), but he failed to mention the sheer vastness of their house.

Esme decided that Edward should take our bags upstairs while she gave me the grand tour. Not only were there about five more guest bedrooms than necessary in the house, but there was also a library, a home theater, a gym, and an indoor pool. Sweet Jesus…I didn't think I would ever need to leave the house in the next four days we were staying here.

"Bella," Esme began, placing a hand on my arm. I turned to face her, and her smile grew. "I can not even begin to tell you how happy I am to have you here. My children have said nothing but amazing things about you; I honestly feel like I know you already."

"Thanks," I said, blushing again. It was impossible not to be enraptured by the kindness of this woman. "I love each and every one of your children."

"Oh, I know you do," she laughed. "Now, why don't you run upstairs to Edward's room, or I'm afraid I will have a VERY cranky son."

"Right, um, of course…just tell me the way."

"Go up these stairs right here," she said, pointing to a staircase on the side of the pool room. "It's the first door on the left."

"Thanks, Esme!" I said running up the stairs.

"Tell Edward dinner is in an hour, please!" she yelled up after me. I smiled to myself. I had never felt more like a family than at this exact moment. My family gatherings used to consist of Charlie and Billy watching football while Jake and I groped one another in his garage. This Thanksgiving was definitely going to be different…and I loved it already.

I opened Edward's bedroom door to see Edward putting away my clothes in a drawer. If someone else had walked in on the scene, he would have looked so gentlemanly and chivalrous putting my things away, but I knew better. I knew that he was just being a perv and wanting to see what underwear I brought with me (and maybe to pilfer some away). _Sigh. Only my Edward._

"Your mom wanted me to tell you that dinner's in an hour."

He looked up, finally realizing that I had come into his room. "How'd it go?" he said, lifting me up and kissing me softly. "Meeting the parents as scary as you thought it'd be?"

"Um, no…not quite. In fact, they're pretty awesome. I wouldn't mind hanging out with them all week long," I laughed as Edward scowled again. I had had enough of his pouting. Reaching up, I attempted to kiss away the pout. Seeing that it wasn't working, I pulled back. "What?"

"You think my dad's hot," he huffed.

Oh my God—was I that transparent? Apparently so. I tried to look away, but my blush definitely gave me away. Edward pushed himself off of me as his mouth dropped.

"I knew it!" he hissed, throwing his arm out to point at me.

I rolled my eyes at his childish antics and pushed his hand down. "Edward, you look JUST like your dad. Obviously I think he's hot…now, can you stop being jealous of your dad and go back to stealing my underwear out of my bag like a normal boyfriend?" I smiled.

"This conversation isn't over, Swan," he mumbled, heading back to my open bag. Just then, he reached inside the bag and gasped loudly, pulling out…OH, NO!

"Is this what I think it is?" he smirked, holding up the DVD case. I sprinted over and grabbed it from his hand.

"Yes, it is…but it was supposed to be a surprise for later!" I groaned. Leave it to Edward to foil my super secret sneaky plans.

"Oh my God, Bella! You brought this to a FAMILY HOLIDAY? Do you know what an amazing girlfriend you are?" he laughed, lifting my by the waist and spinning us in a circle. I laughed, nuzzling my head into his shoulder.

"Only you would get THIS excited about that."

Edward shook his head violently. "No, no. I have it on pretty good authority that Emmett would be JUST as excited as me…if not more." He paused, clearly thinking over his next move. "Can we watch it now?" he asked, attempting to dazzle me with his smoldering eyes.

"Nope," I smirked, throwing the DVD back into my bag. "Let's save it for after dinner."

"Bella, please?" he whined.

"Not a chance, bunny. Save it. We only have an hour until we have to be downstairs anyway…"

"Fine…so what did you want to do in the meantime?" he asked, pulling me towards him again. God, I loved being wrapped up in his arms.

"Well, I thought I could take a nice, long look at your bedroom ceiling," I winked.

"You really ARE the best girlfriend ever," he laughed, pushing me onto his bed. Within seconds, he was hovering over my body. I looked into his eyes, which were roaming over my body. I was instantly aroused and squirmed under his intense gaze.

Unable to take the anticipation any longer, I moved my hand to the back of his head and pulled his head towards me. I brought my lips to his softly, lingering there, just enjoying the feel of him there. He sucked on my lower lip, pulling it into his mouth ever so slightly. I opened my mouth, encouraging him to slide his tongue in, which he did without any prompting, of course. Our tongues met, and his body relaxed onto mine. I widened my legs and brought my knees up, making a space for him to rest comfortably.

His kisses trailed down my jaw, and my eyes fluttered close. His fingertips, which were splayed on my hips, started making their way underneath the hem of my shirt. The pads of his fingers left a burning trail up my sides and onto my waiting breasts. His mouth continued to lick and suck at my neck while the pressure on my breasts increased. An involuntary moan escaped my lips.

Edward smiled against my throat. "How's my ceiling looking?" The vibrations of his voice against my skin sent shivers down my whole body and I could feel myself becoming wet. Thank God I brought twice the amount of panties than days we were spending here…I know, I plan ahead.

"So good," I moaned, pressing my hips up slightly into his. I heard him grunt as he pushed his hips back into mine, and his ministrations on my neck increased to heavier sucking.

_Wait…sucking?_

I pushed Edward off my chest as I sat up suddenly. My hand went to my throat as I ran over to his mirror.

"Edward, are you trying to give me a hickey?" I gaped.

"Would you believe me if I said no?" he said guiltily.

"Definitely not," I scowled, trying to figure out how bad the damage was to my neck.

"Oh, stop pouting, Bel," he said climbing off the bed to me, placing kisses my hair. "I just CAN…so…I wanted to…"

_Gah_. Why do I think that's absolutely adorable? I am a complete and total sucker.

"Argh, you're so frustrating! Now I have to spend dinner with your entire family with a huge hickey on my neck," I complained.

"Me? Frustrating? No…you think I'm delectable," he smirked, furthering the dampness in my underwear.

"You bug me."

"You love me," he laughed, throwing an arm around my shoulders.

Pushing his arm off of me, I rifled through his drawer, throwing on the only item of clothing I had brought with me that would be able to cover my neck—a short, grey turtleneck dress. I had several scarves with me, but I figured I'd be giving myself up if I made my way to dinner with a scarf on.

I pulled on my black "fuck me" boots (that's what Edward referred to them as, not me), and we made our way downstairs.

Dinner was absolutely delicious. Edward apparently got his cooking talent from Esme, who had made steak that melted in your mouth. Seriously, I don't know how vegetarians do it—I would die without steak. To go with our steak and to keep the conversation flowing, we consumed nearly 7 bottles of wine.

Carlisle was currently on glass number four and telling some hilariously embarrassing story about Edward getting caught jerking off at school as a twelve year old by his sixth grade homeroom teacher.

"It was fucking hilarious," Carlisle laughed. "Esme and I had to go in and meet with the principle to talk about inappropriate school behavior with Edward."

I laughed loudly and had to interject. "Oh, please—who HASN'T caught Edward jerking off?" Oh, yes…I was definitely getting drunk.

"Bella!" Edward hissed. The entire table burst into loud guffaws of laughter. Emmett even choked a little bit on his sip of wine he was laughing so hard.

Esme blushed. "Edward has had quite the record with inappropriate behavior…"

"Guys, please stop," Edward groaned, putting his head in his hands. I had never seen Edward blush as much as he had during the past hour.

"I'm sorry, bunny, but it's true," I laughed, kissing his cheek. He leaned his cheek into the kiss like he was anticipating it, and the table went from laughter to sighs and aww's.

While the table was distracted, I placed my hand onto Edward's thigh. It was only when I looked at Edward did I see that he and Alice were having some sort of secret conversation. I had stopped trying to decipher them, but it was still annoying to be on the outside of their "plans." Alice was gesturing to him, but I couldn't figure out about what. Just then, Edward gestured too large in response, knocking my cup of red wine all over my dress. I pushed the chair out as fast as I could, but it was too late.

"Oh, shit, Bella! I'm so sorry!"

"God, Edward, you're such an ass sometimes," Alice chirped from the other side of the table. "Go run upstairs and get Bella some clothes—I'll take her to the laundry room immediately…if we act quick maybe we can save your dress!" she yelled, pulling me out of the room and down the hall.

I guess dinner was over…

Instead of waiting like a normal person, Alice pulled the dress from over my head and began working on my dress. I'm not sure what she was putting on it, but...it was Alice…I trusted her to try and save my dress no matter what.

I looked down and realized that Alice had left me in my underwear and boots. I crossed my arms over my chest in an attempt for some modesty.

"Don't bother trying to cover up, Bella," Alice said, not looking at me. "Is that the new underwear you bought? …the green lace set?" I swear, that girl had eyes in the back of her head.

I didn't even have time to respond. Alice held up the dress, which was now sporting splotches of white foam where the wine had begun to sink in. "Alright, one cycle of warm cold wash should clear that right up," she rambled, turning on the washer and throwing the dress in. "I'm glad I was there to act fast," she winked, making her way to the door. She looked over her shoulder, appraising me. "You look hot, Bella."

"Thanks, Alice…"

"PS, nice hickey," she laughed, skipping out of the door. My hand went to cup my throat, and I groaned again. I had forgotten about the hickey. _Fucking Edward._

Feeling awkward just standing alone in my underwear and boots in the empty laundry room, I hopped up onto the washer to wait for Edward.

In retrospect, that was probably a mistake. I was still fairly buzzed and was feeling pretty turned on. Edward hadn't really had his hands on me all day, and I needed him badly. And although the washing machine was no Edward, the vibrations of the machine against the thin lace of my underwear was sending small shock waves to my core. Reaching one hand to palm my breast and using the other to prop myself upright, I widened my legs and rocked gently against the vibration of the machine. I could feel my own wetness seeping through the lace as I closed my eyes and threw my head back, giving into the pleasurable sensation.

In the back of my head, I heard the door open and clothes drop to the ground. Just as quickly, the door closed and within seconds, Edward's hands were running up my thighs.

"Speaking of getting caught jerking off," he chuckled quietly. I smiled and opened my eyes. I almost gasped at the beauty of Edward's face so close to mine. I would never get used to the way he looked at me. I shivered as one of his hands made its way to palm my other breast, while the other one made its way into my panties. I continued my slight rocking motion against his finger, which brushed lightly over my clit repeatedly. I could feel my climax building quickly, and in no time at all, wave after wave hit me as I exploded onto his fingers.

Without saying a word, I reached for his pants, pulling him all the way to the edge of the machine. His fingers had his pants unbuttoned and pushed to his ankles before I could even attempt to. He then pulled my panties off and unhooked my bra. Throwing them to the floor, he smiled broadly.

"I think green just became my new favorite color," he said, leaning in to capture my lips in a searing kiss. He pulled away to take his shirt off and roll a condom on.

_Wait a second._

"You and Alice planned this," I laughed, realizing what their secret table conversation was about. "Edward, you really don't need your sister's help to get laid," I said, moving my hips all the way to the edge of the machine to meet him.

"I know," he laughed, positioning himself at my entrance, teasing me mercilessly. "But I needed her help getting laid right NOW," he said, finally entering me slowly. "You have no idea how much I've wanted you this way."

"What? On a washing machine?" I groaned out as he pulled out almost all the way and reentered me at a leisurely pace. God, it was some sweet, sweet torture.

"Mmhmm," he nodded, pinching and pulling at my breasts.

"Why?" I gasped between thrusts. Oh, wow. I was nearly ready to come again, and he had barely begun.

"Why not?" Edward grunted. "I want you everywhere, every way, all…the…time…" he moaned, picking up his pace slightly. At his words, I came apart in his arms again, biting down on his shoulder to stifle my cries.

"I love you, Edward," I sighed, wrapping my legs around his back, aiding his every motion. With my legs at this angle, he could penetrate so much deeper than I thought was humanly possible. I moaned loudly when he hit a particularly sweet spot.

"Holy fuck, Bella," Edward breathed heavily. Apparently he felt it, too. "I love you, too." Unable to speak, we moved together faster, pouring every ounce of love for one another into each caress, kiss, and breath. It was exceedingly comical that our most romantic time together was in a laundry room on top of a washing machine with his entire family down the hall…but it was so US that I couldn't bring myself to fight it.

We came together, whispering each other's names into one another's necks.

Feeling remarkably sobered, I threw on the clothes that Edward had brought me: an old t-shirt of his, which read CULLEN in huge block letters on the back of it and a pair of my pajama shorts (no underwear, of course). He was absolutely never getting that shirt back. Thinking ahead, Edward had also brought a t-shirt and sweats for himself. I guess we were a plan ahead for sex kind of couple, I thought, laughing quietly to myself.

My laughter stopped, however, when I saw him reach onto the ironing board and grab the secret DVD he'd found earlier. "DVD time?" he said, raising one eyebrow.

"You underhanded, little minx!" He grinned. "I guess so," I sighed. "I'm still pissed that you found it, though."

"Bella, it'll still have the same effect…surprise or not," he said, leading me into their home theater. I froze.

"You want to watch it here? With that HUGE screen and surround sound?" I balked.

"Absolutely!" he smirked, putting the DVD into the player. Immediately, I was pulled onto Edward's lap, and he threw a large blanket around us. In the theater there were ten La-Z boy chairs, and one definitely fit both Edward and I very comfortably.

I cringed slightly as the title sequence came up, but Edward was already completely enthralled. Just then the door to the theater opened and Emmett, Rosalie, Alice, and Jasper trailed in.

"Hey, guys, what'cha watching?" Emmett said, still chewing something. Edward grinned up him evilly, and I knew it was going to be a long night.

_I got the horse right here, his name is Paul Revere_

_And here's a guy who says that the weather's clear_

_Can do, can do…the guy says the horse can do…_

_If he says the horse can do…can do…can do…_

"Where the fuck did you get this from?" Jasper said, mouth agape in horror.

"Jake and his dad came up for the second night of _Guys and Dolls_, filmed it, and then sent it to me for my birthday. I've been saving it for a special day," I giggled.

"Fuck, yeah, Bella!" Emmett yelled, plopping down into the chair next to us. "I love you! Let's get mom and dad in here!" he laughed, ruffling my hair.

"Oh, Jasper…this is just…really embarrassing for you," Rosalie snickered, snuggling next to Emmett.

"Shhh! I want to hear my baby sing," Alice chirped, pulling Jasper into the closest chair with her. He groaned loudly and was subsequently shushed by the entire room.

"I'll never forgive you for this, Bella," he whispered loudly.

As the room exploded into colorful comments and laughter around me, I realized how incredibly worn-out I was. I hadn't even made it to my character's entrance in the show when I was drifting off to sleep, perfectly content in Edward's warm arms.

I was so thankful for my new family.

EPOV

I always knew that Bella had slipped in effortlessly into my group of friends, but having her asleep in my arms as we all mocked Jasper for his Broadway musical stylings, I had never felt more like she was a part of my family. As the musical finished, I shifted in my seat to get a better hold on her. She smiled and mumbled, "Edward," while clutching onto my t-shirt slightly. Leaning down to kiss her, I pushed a stray hair out of her eyes, and sighed.

Someone cleared their throat, and I realized that everyone had cleared out of the room except for Emmett. Uh oh. Did he really want to do this now?

"Hey, Eddie…uh, can I talk to you for a minute?" he asked, eyes full of hope.

_Pull the Eddie card, why don't you, Emmett…_

"Yeah, sure…should I take her upstairs first?" I asked, nodding to the sleeping Bella in my arms.

Emmett shifted uncomfortably in his seat. "No, man, I'll be quick…I uh…I just wanted to..umm…"

"Spit it out already, Em," I sighed.

"I…I'm sorry."

_That was unexpected._

"Don't be sorry, Em. Bella's lucky to have you looking out for her," I admitted. As much as it killed me that Emmett thought he had to protect Bella from me, I wasn't above admitting that I was glad that he was there for her.

"Yeah, well…same goes for you," he said. There was an awkward pause.

"So, what changed your mind?" I just had to ask. My own brother had beat my ass and then proceeded to ignore me for an entire week…I think I deserve the right to know why there was a sudden change of heart.

"Honestly?" Emmett asked, nervous all of a sudden.

"Yeah…"

"It was one of the songs you sang last night…I didn't believe that you actually meant it until I saw you sing it…"

_Okay…_

"It was that fucking Cake song…you know, 'Love You Madly'?"

I nodded.

"Anyway, I'm sorry it took me so long to figure it out. I kind of thought you were just jealous of Jake or something. I didn't want Bella to get hurt, but I don't think that's going to be an issue. You really actually love her. And…not in the same way that I do…"

"Emmett, I've been in love with Bella since the moment she walked into our audition."

Emmett looked thoughtful. "So, has she talked to that knob-rocket since he left her that terrible message?"

"I don't know," I replied honestly. If Bella had been talking to Jake, she certainly hadn't brought it up with me.

"Fucking asshole. I walked in on her crying on our couch just staring at the phone. It was awful. You better NEVER leave her like that, Edward. Do you understand? I have no qualms with sticking you…just because we're brothers doesn't mean I won't equalize you for hurting her, okay?" Emmett said seriously.

"Got it, Em," I said, standing up. Bella shifted in my arms and sighed an, "I love you, Edward" under her breath.

"I love you, too, man," Emmett said, softly clapping a hand on my shoulder. I chuckled quietly. Making the long trek up to my room, I knew that I had never been more excited for a holiday in my life. This Thanksgiving was definitely going to be one to remember.

**Chapter End Notes: Reviews are just as good as hot laundry room sex with my favorite dirty talking boy AND making fun of Jasper in a musical ;)**

**Also, for everyone's enjoyment...my favorite quote of the week (I won't use names for her sake...)**

**Friend: I love it when a guy talks dirty to me.**

**Me: Yeah, me too--it's super hot.**

**Friend: ...like when they're like, 'Oh your pussy is so pretty'**

**Me: Who tells you that?**

**Friend: (awkward pause) Edward? **

**Yup. Too much fan fic for me and my friends, right? Hahah. Thought you all might enjoy that little anecdote. **


	22. Chapter 22

**AN: Well, whether you loved or hated him, EVERYONE had something to say about Carlisle, which I'm very happy about! Thanks for reviewing, guys!**

**An extra special shout out to jdarling83, who stayed up until 3 AM catching up on the chapters, and reviewed every single one. Wow. Thank you, my dear.**

**That said, here is Thanksgiving! ...let the 16 pages of mayhem ensue...**

EPOV

_Bzzz, bzzz…Bzzz, bzzz._

Oh my God, what is that noise and how do I make it stop?

Although I was pretty sure that I had turned off my phone last night, the incessant buzzing on my nightstand continued. Cracking an eye open I realized it was already 10:30, so I should probably wake up anyway. Groaning, I reached for the phone and flipped it open.

"Hello?" I croaked out. _Mmm…morning voice. So sexy._

"Who the hell is this?" the voice on the other end yelled, clearly perturbed.

"What do you mean, who the hell is this? You called me…who the hell is _this_," I replied sleepily. I was in no mood to deal with angry wrong number dialers on Thanksgiving morning.

"Is Bella there?"

What? Well…now the voice had my attention. "Who wants to know?" I said, propping myself up on a pillow.

"This is her best friend," the voice growled. "May I ask with whom I'm speaking?"

_Oh fucking hell._ I picked up Bella's phone…on Thanksgiving morning…only in my life would this shit happen.

Before I could say anything I regretted, Bella came skipping out of the bathroom with my clothes from last night and a huge smile on. She never failed to take my breath away. Distracted by her body crawling back on the bed on top of me, I let my hand fall away from my ear slightly. I ran one of my hands through her hair as she pressed a firm kiss to my chest, while looking up at me through her lashes. The girl was a cock tease, and she knew it!

Just then garbled voices coming from her phone brought us both back to the present. She looked at my hand confused and then back at me.

"Edward, why are you on my phone?"

"Um, it was vibrating, and I thought it was mine. Sorry in advance…again," I sighed, handing her the phone.

"Hello?" Bella said hesitantly into the phone. Immediately her eyes widened in shock and she fumbled with the phone, accidentally pressing the speaker button as it fell to the ground.

"Bella? …Bells? ...what the hell?" the angry voice ranted.

Nervously, Bella picked up the phone, cradling it in her hands as she sank down onto the bed again. "Hey, J…Jake," she stuttered, "what's up?"

"What's up?" Jake shouted. "That obnoxious rich kid answers your phone at 8:30 in the morning, and you're asking me what's up?"

Apparently Bella was going to keep the phone on speaker. Hmm…good. If I need to intervene, at least I'd be able to hear it first.

"Jake, it's 10:30 where I am, and, yeah—Edward answered my phone, but—"

"10:30? Where the fuck are you, Bells?"

"Jake, can you stop with the interrogation, please? We haven't talked in over a month, and all you want to do is yell at me again?"

Over the line I could hear some muffled talking the distance. The phone was moved around a bit, and all of a sudden an older man's voice was on the phone.

"Bells, is that you?"

"Hi, Billy," Bella smiled, moving to sit in between my legs and relaxing into my chest. I couldn't help but wrap my arms around her and rest my chin on top of her head.

"Happy Thanksgiving, precious."

"Happy Thanksgiving to you too, Billy. Um…is everything okay over there?"

"Nothing I can't handle," Billy laughed. "Sorry about Jake…he's been bugging me for the past hour and a half about calling you. I told him to wait until 9, but it looks like he got past me. He's not doing too well his first Thanksgiving without you. Apologies if he woke you."

"I'm actually not in Seattle, Billy…so, it's already 10:30 where I am," Bella paused. "I'm in Chicago celebrating with my boyfriend's family," she said, biting her lip nervously.

"Boyfriend? Jake didn't tell me you had a boyfriend! --Jake!" Billy called out, "why didn't you tell me that Bella was in Chicago with her boyfriend?"

Bella cringed, and I reflexively ran my hands up and down her arms, trying to relax her. It seemed to work until Jake shouted back to the phone, "Bella has a boyfriend? Who the fuck…" he trailed off midsentence.

"Hi, Bells," Jake said, obviously taking the phone back from his father. "I…I didn't realize that…um…fuck, Bella…will you say something?"

"What do you want me to say?" Bella whispered, and I realized for the first time the extent of how much Jake had hurt her. _Douche._

"I miss you," Jake mumbled.

"I miss you, too."

"I didn't know that you and Edward were…um…"

"Really, Jake? Can you guess as to why I didn't run to call you with that new information? Maybe it was because when you left, I'm positive that you were insinuating I was already sleeping with Edward—"

_He did what now?_ I REALLY needed to kick Jake's ass in the near future. It would feel DAMN good.

"Bella, I already apologized for that, didn't I? I'm really sorry, okay? I just thought that you would have seen through my bullshit and called me out on it like you usually do. But, I mean, if you're spending Thanksgiving with his family, it must be serious, then…" Jake rambled.

"Jake, you really need to stop being such an ass. I was originally invited to spend Thanksgiving in Chicago because you so kindly said that we needed a break from one another. So, I made other plans—it had nothing to do with Edward…"

I cleared my throat loudly. It had a LITTLE to do with me at the time she accepted. I mean, let's not completely play it off like that, Bella.

"But, now…yeah, Jake—it's extremely serious. I'm in love with him, and he's in love with me…which apparently everyone knew before we did, but I guess that's besides the point, right?" Bella smiled up at me, leaning her head back to kiss my jaw. I hadn't even realized that I was clenching it until I felt it unlock on command to her kiss.

_Wow. The power of Bella._

"That's great, Bells," Jake said sadly. Hell, if I had Bella and lost her to another guy, I'd be sad, too. "You sound good," Jake continued. "Can our break officially be over, though? I really miss my best friend."

"It's true, he does!" Billy called from the background.

"Are you sure you just don't miss hearing 98 Degrees all the time?" Bella joked.

"Bells…"

"Okay, fine. We can officially be off break…but will you promise not to freak out when I call and want to talk about my boyfriend?"

"Only if you're calling to complain about him…" Jake grumbled.

_Fucking hell. This kid is SO going down._

"Jake…" Bella warned. _My angry kitten. So damn cute._

"Fine, fine. Call me and tell me all about him when he's not breathing into the phone with you, okay? …Hey, Edward."

_Woops._

"Hey, Jake…Happy Thanksgiving," I said amicably (or, well, I was aiming for amicably—it came off a little strained, though).

"Yeah, you, too. All right, sorry for freaking out before. Love you, Bells. Call me when you're back in Seattle."

"K. Tell your dad I say bye, too. Happy Thanksgiving," Bella sighed and snapped the phone shut, throwing it on the ground. "Fuck!" she growled at the ground, where her phone lay haphazardly.

"Um, Bella, are you okay?"

She froze in my arms and then whipped around. "Not even a little bit."

She had looked fine a second ago, but now the girl looked like she was ready to attack me. I was a bit scared for my life…angry kitten my ass. She was more like a protective lioness now. _Fuck_.

"Is there something I can do?" I ventured. _Be a supportive boyfriend. You can do this._

"I think you've done enough, Edward," she snapped.

_Whoa there._ What in God's name did I do? Happy Thanksgiving to you, too, Bella. Jesus.

I must have made a face because Bella looked indignantly at me. "Why are you looking at me like that?" she huffed.

"You mean like you're crazy?" I joked.

"No, like I did something to upset you. Did I do something to upset you, Edward?" she asked angrily.

Okay, now I was just pissed. "I just can't believe you forgave Jake so easily after how he treated you," I confessed.

"Well, not all of us can be assholes like you all the time," she quipped, leaping off the bed. She narrowed her eyes at me and continued. "I'm going to take a shower now. I'll see you downstairs…I need time to think."

I gulped. _Holy shit. Think about what? What did I do? How do I apologize for it?_ I was fully aware how much better Bella was than me, but I honestly had no idea what I did to warrant this kind of reaction…it was incredibly unsettling.

Pulling on some jeans and a sweater, I made my way downstairs to the kitchen. Mom looked calm and relaxed as she peeled potatoes.

"Morning, Mom," I said, kissing her cheek. "Need assistance?" I continued, picking up a knife to help.

She nodded and smiled, pushing a pile of potatoes in front of me. Make fun of me all you want, but it's a tradition in my family that I help my mom cook Thanksgiving dinner. I'm the only one of all my siblings who even remotely knows how, and it gets me out of playing football outside in the freezing cold with everyone else.

After peeling about thirty potatoes, chopping them up, and dropping them into a pot of boiling water, I realized that Bella still hadn't come down from her shower. Mom, the ever-observant one, noticed, too.

"Eddie," my mom started (I cringed, but didn't correct her; she was absolutely the only one allowed to call me that…and only because she birthed me), "where's Bella?"

"She was just hopping into the shower when I came downstairs…I'm sure she'll be down soon," I said more to myself than to anyone else.

Fuck. Did Bella need an hour to think? She usually only spent about 15 minutes in the shower….

"Baby, did you and Bella get into a fight?"

"No," I responded too quickly. My mom made a face. "Yes? I don't know…maybe. If we did, I don't know what it's about. Fuck!" I sighed, flopping down onto a kitchen chair.

My mom just laughed at me. _Thanks, Mom. I really appreciate that. Kick me when I'm down, why don't you?_

Just then, Bella appeared in the kitchen. She was a vision, as always. She had her hair pulled back into a ponytail (which she didn't do far enough for my liking…God, I loved her neck), and she looked like an angel in a white sweater and jeans. Simple, yes, but I wanted to undress her right there and kiss every inch of her skin.

And…now I'm hard in front of my mother by a girlfriend who is mad at me. _Awesome_.

"Happy Thanksgiving, Esme!" Bella smiled, coming to hug my mom. "Do you need any help with anything?

"No, no, no—Eddie has it covered," my mom chuckled. And there goes the hard on.

Bella smirked and mouthed, "Eddie?" to me. I just rolled my eyes and shook my head. Bella wasn't going to start calling me Eddie. No fucking way.

"_Eddie_ cooks Thanksgiving dinner?" Bella asked, emphasizing the traitorous nickname.

"Every year," my mom smiled, pushing a stray hair out of my eyes. "It's tradition…which reminds me, Emmett requested your presence outside as soon as you were ready."

"Outside?" Bella asked nervously.

"Yes, they have about two more hours of playing time before everyone has to come inside to wash up for guests. Do you want to play football with them? Alice will be so grateful to you for allowing her to sit out," my mom laughed.

"Football? Oh, I'm so there!" Bella cheered. "I wouldn't mind tackling someone right now." And with those words, she was outside. I heard my dad cheer loudly and Emmett call her to his team. I sighed and went back to chopping vegetables.

I could feel my mom's eyes on me. Slowly, I turned my head to meet hers.

"Well, I don't know what you did, but you're definitely in a fight, Edward," she frowned.

_Fucking hell._ This day was going to be miserable if Bella wasn't going to talk to me.

"But at least you have something to look forward to," she smiled.

"Yeah, what's that?"

"Your first make up," she smirked, continuing to baste the turkey. Well, that was something to ponder, at least.

I spent the next two hours wallowing in my cooking, watching Thanksgiving specials on the Food Network. I think even my mom was starting to feel bad for me. Somehow, like a savior, I heard my OTHER angel calling my name.

"Edward!" a small voice chirped from the doorway.

I smiled and turned around to catch the small blonde child flying towards me.

"Umph," I said, adjusting the girl in my arms. "Char, you're getting too big to be held, you know that?"

"Charlotte!" my mom cried, enveloping us both in a hug. "You ARE big! How old are you now?"

The little girl held up eight fingers, and my mom gasped. "Eight already? Edward, put the girl down for God's sake. She's a lady now," she scolded, jokingly.

"No!" Charlotte cried, wrapping her arms tightly around my neck.

"Charlotte, you're going to hurt Edward!" my Aunt Maria scolded as she pulled the pouting Charlotte to the floor.

"It's fine," I replied, hugging my Aunt. I loved my extended family. My Uncle Aaron was Carlisle's brother, and they looked fairly similar. Charlotte was just a small, female version of Aaron, so whenever I took Charlotte out, people constantly mistook her for my daughter (even at age 17, for Christ's sake…). "Charlotte can do whatever she wants…right, Char?" I laughed, pulling her onto my lap.

"Yup!" she smiled, her blue eyes twinkling with mischief. "I can do whatever I want," she added haughtily, in all of her eight-year-old glory.

I couldn't help myself; I started tickling her. As she squirmed in my lap, I placed tiny kisses on her face and in her hair until she was gasping for me to stop.

During our tickle fight, I failed to notice that the hordes had returned to the house. Bella was standing in the doorway almost completely slack-jawed as the rest of the family greeted one another with hugs and kisses. I realized quickly how odd it must look that I was playing with a kid…especially since just a week earlier I was dreading the idea of a kid in my life.

"Charlotte," I said, nudging her in the stomach. She looked up at me earnestly. "Do you see that girl over there in the white sweater?" She nodded as her eyes widened.

"She's so pretty."

I laughed. "Yep, she definitely is," I agreed. "She's my girlfriend…do you want to meet her?"

Charlotte nodded again and leaped off of my lap. I grabbed her hand and led her over to Bella. Getting shy all of a sudden, Charlotte hid behind my leg as Bella crouched down to greet her.

"Charlotte this is Bella—Bella this is Charlotte, my favorite cousin," I smiled down at both of them.

"I'm your ONLY cousin, Edward," Charlotte huffed, crossing her arms.

"It's nice to meet you, Charlotte," Bella said softly, smiling.

"You're pretty," Charlotte said, reaching out to study Bella's face. Bella just crouched there patiently, smiling and letting the grabby little girl touch her face. "You're prettier than Gabriella AND Sharpay."

I looked down, confused, but Bella just laughed. "Thanks, Charlotte! I think tonight's going to be _a night to remember_!" Bella sang the last few words, and Charlotte's entire face lit up as she grabbed Bella's hand and pulled her across the room.

"Mom! Mom! Mom!" Charlotte hopped up and down, pulling at Aunt Maria's dress.

"Yes, baby?" she sighed.

"This is my new best friend, Bella. We're going to go watch High School Musical 3, okay?"

I watched in disbelief as Bella smiled and happily went off to watch some God forsaken movie with my eight-year-old cousin. Why was she so amazing? And why was she still not speaking to me?

Her obvious dismissal of me had not gone unnoticed, and I knew that I was going to have to talk to her soon. I refused to not enjoy my favorite holiday by getting into a fight with my girlfriend…especially when I didn't know what we were fighting about!

Not messing around anymore, I went to the freezer and pulled out a bottle of gin. I was going to need a little help taking the edge off today.

"Trouble in paradise already?" my dad laughed, pointing to my half full glass of gin.

"Shut it," I snapped, pouring a splash of tonic water on top.

"Can you pour me one, too?" he asked. I nodded and made him a gin and tonic just as strong as mine. He took a big sip and smiled. "Fuck, Edward—you should have been a bartender. This is a hell of a drink."

"Thanks?"

Quirking an eyebrow, my dad placed a heavy hand on my shoulder. "Edward, we're going to have this conversation once and once only. Whatever you did…just apologize…because if you don't, then I may have to get in there," he laughed.

Just then, my mom appeared, wrapping her arms around my dad. "What are you two laughing about?"

"Dad was just saying how he wants to leave you for Bella," I deadpanned, as my dad choked slightly on his drink.

"You boys are bad," she laughed, kissing my dad on the cheek. "Now, come on—dinner's ready."

Dinner passed in a blur of cocktails and delicious food. Charlotte, Bella, and Alice were all seated next to one another and gossiping about how Troy Bolton was the perfect boyfriend because he played basketball, had pretty hair, and brought his girlfriend picnics to her bedroom.

_Ridiculous_. If those were the requirements for the prefect boyfriend then I was doing a shit job.

"So, what did you kids end up doing last night?" my dad asked.

"Bella brought us a present!" Emmett cheered.

"Really?" Esme questioned.

Jasper groaned loudly. "It wasn't a present for all of us."

"Yes it was," Alice smiled. "Bella brought us a DVD copy of Jasper's Broadway musical debut!"

My dad choked slightly on his drink as he laughed loudly. "No fucking way! You watched it without me?"

"Sorry to disappoint, Carlisle, but I don't think we'll be watching it again," Jasper said, standing up from his seat.

_Haha, right. That's what HE thought._

"Whatever you say, Jasper," Rosalie laughed. "Hey, Jasper? Can you sit down? You're rocking the boat."

"So, Bella," my Uncle Aaron began, interrupting the table's raucous laugher, "what's a good girl like you doing with Edward? I have a bunch of really nice, smart interns that I could fix you up with if you wanted…"

Thanks so much Uncle Aaron. He was always trying to get me to hang out with his law school interns…you know, long hours, not a lot of time for friends? Yeah…lawyers just weren't my cup of tea. Boring ass motherfuckers. What would Bella want with them? And why was my family trying to get Bella to break up with me?

"Thanks for the offer, Aaron," Bella smiled, "but I think I'm taken care of in that area…"

"Yeah, Aaron—haven't you heard?" my dad interjected. "Bella's already leaving Edward for me!"

At that comment Bella blushed furiously, and the entire table (sans me and Charlotte) burst into laughter.

"And on that note, I think I'm going to use the restroom," Bella said still blushing and staring at the table. "Excuse me."

Not saying a word, I decided to follow her. We hadn't been alone since this morning, and we hadn't really been alone because Jake was already on the line.

_Wait a fucking second. Is THAT why she's mad? She's mad because I answered her phone? _

"Hey, Bella, wait!"

She paused and turned around, sighing loudly. "What?"

I took a tentative step forward, and she made no movement, so I chanced another step forward. Still no movement. Good signs. I took one more step until I finally had her in my arms. I felt her breathe in deeply as she wrapped her arms around my waist and place her head on my chest. I kissed her head lightly and whispered, "I'm sorry."

She tilted her head up, resting her chin on my chest. Her eyes were slightly glassy, and I could see the tears that she was holding back.

"I'm sorry I'm such a bad boyfriend," I sighed.

She pulled back and a tear ran down her cheek. I used my thumb to brush it away as she shook her head. "You're not a bad boyfriend, Edward…"

"Yes, I am, Bel. If I was thinking about you, I would have told Jake that it was me on the phone as soon as I figured out that I had picked up your phone. Instead, I purposefully aggravated the situation, which I know you didn't appreciate. I was just being stupid, and had you not come out of the bathroom when you did, I'm positive I would have given Jake a verbal beat down, so…I'm apologizing for that, too…"

"Edward, stop—" she said, placing a finger over my lips. "I'm not mad at you…I'm mad at Jake still, and I'm mad that he's the first person I talked to today because I wasn't prepared to talk to him, and I'm mad that Charlie wasn't around to hand his ass to him, and I'm mad at me for forgiving him so easily, and I'm just mad at you for making me realize that…" Now her tears were falling steadily.

_Fuck me._

"Well, then I'm sorry for not giving Jake that verbal lashing then," I joked, pulling her close again.

"Thanks," she chuckled. "Next time, I promise you can do it. By the way, I'm sorry for acting like a bitch all day."

"You could never act like a bitch," I smiled, "and even if you did, I love you anyway." I paused for a second. Should I admit the next part? It was definitely embarrassing, but honesty had served me well before…mostly. I decided to go for it. "Honestly, Bel, I spent a good portion of the day trying to figure out how I was going to convince you not to leave me…"

"I love you, too, Edward. I never want to leave you, okay?" she said, knotting her fingers in my hair and pulling at it slightly.

_Point taken, Bella. Point taken, indeed._

I leaned down and pressed my lips to hers. The tension in both of us noticeably dissipated. Her tongue reached out, and I welcomed it with ever fiber of my being. The kiss started off slow, but I could feel myself getting harder with need for her, making the kiss more aggressive with each passing second. My hands roamed lower to cup her ass, and she moaned as she ground her hips into mine.

"Edward stop molesting your girlfriend—it's time for our game!" Alice chirped from somewhere behind me. I grunted in acknowledgement, but I made no move to separate myself from Bella. We had some making up to do, and I wasn't going to let stupid family traditions get in the way of that. "Come on!" Alice said, physically pulling Bella out of my grasp.

Everyone was already seated in the living room when we returned. The only spots were next to my dad, so I pulled Bella close to my side. My mom seemed to glow with happiness from watching us together. I'm sure I was glowing, too. God I had turned into such a pansy. A really happy pansy.

"Since we have new players this year, I'll explain the rules," my mom began. "Everyone writes down three things that they're grateful for on these slips of paper," she said, holding up the stack of small papers. "After you write them down, I will shuffle them all and put them all down on the table. Then, we'll go around the circle and each person will have a chance to guess who wrote which things. Also, write your answer in capital letters so it's harder to decipher handwriting."

As everyone began writing, I realized that I had a lot to be thankful for this year. It was kind of bizarre how much my life had changed in the past year. I'm pretty sure last year I wrote down, "my guitar," "booze," and "boobs," as the three things I was thankful for. This year, though…I was going to make sure that the person I loved knew how thankful I was for everything about her. Also, after feeling terrible all day, I really wanted to make her laugh.

On my slips of paper I wrote down:

EMMETT'S USED CONDOM (because without it, Bella and I would have never spent that first night together in my bed)

BON JOVI (because without it, Bella wouldn't be Bella—also, it was 80s night the first night we had sex)

THE PORSCHE (for very obvious reasons)

I watched Esme (the so-called referee of the game because each year she wrote the same three things: Emmett, Edward, and Alice) giggle as she placed all of our slips of paper across the table. Aaron went first, browsing the table. He pointed to one slip, which read, "EDWARD" and pointed to Esme.

"I believe this one belongs to you," he smiled.

She smiled back and cocked her head. "I wish I could say yes, but I actually didn't participate this year…I believe that one belongs to someone else," she continued, looking directly at Bella.

"Sorry, Aaron…it's mine," Bella said softly, raising her hand. I couldn't help myself and leaned in to kiss Bella. It was the first time we had kissed in front of my parents and my whole body tingled with joy as they collectively sighed in relief.

Emmett was up next. He laughed loudly and picked up my "EMMETT'S USED CONDOM" slip. He threw it at my head and muttered, "You're a used condom."

I simply shrugged. My mom shook her head, sighing. "I just don't want to know."

Next, Jasper scanned the papers. He held up one that said, "THE PORSCHE," but it definitely wasn't mine. My mouth dropped open slightly. Great minds think alike, Bella. He quirked his eyebrow at Alice.

"Really? Of all things to be thankful for…you're thankful for the Porsche, Alice? And…who besides you would be thankful for the Porsche?" he said, grabbing MY sheet of paper.

Alice cocked her head, trying to decipher the papers and said, "But…I didn't write that I was thankful for the Porsche…"

Just then, Bella started convulsing in a fit of silent laughter. I joined in very shortly after, which brought everyone's eyes to us. Alice jumped up and pointed to us angrily. "Ew! Really, guys? The Porsche? You desecrated my poor baby!"

Bella's silent laughter turned into loud guffaws as Charlotte whispered to Aunt Maria, "Why is Alice mad at Edward, mommy?"

"Nice," my dad exclaimed, holding out a fist to pound mine with. I couldn't resist and pounded back.

The game was pretty uneventful after that "shocking" revelation. Alice kept scowling at us, but it just made me laugh. Oh well—she's the one who wanted us together, right?

Bella's three things ended up being "Edward," "the Porsche," and "the Cullen Family," which everyone aww'ed at.

Shortly after the game finished, though, Charlotte had curled up onto Aaron's lap and was happily asleep. I hadn't even noticed how late it had gotten. Many kisses and hugs later, we were all totally wiped out. In fact, I was currently the only one awake.

Alice was asleep with her head on Emmett's lap and her feet on Jasper's. Rosalie had her head on Emmett's shoulder, and I was sprawled out on the other couch with Bella lying on top of me.

"Esme," my dad called from the hall. "Grab the camera, please." My mom and dad shuffled into the room and laughed at all of our positions.

"It's only 10 o'clock, and they're passed out like eight year olds," my mom smiled, putting an arm around my dad's waist.

"I'm still awake," I called out, causing Bella to stir.

"I'm awake, too, now," she mumbled into my chest.

_Oops_.

"Sorry," I said, pushing her hair out of her sleepy eyes. Just then, I saw a flash in the distance. Recognizing the irony of the situation, I got up from the couch and turned around, pointing to my back.

"Need a lift?" I smiled. She laughed and climbed onto my back, reminding me of our Halloween escapades.

As I headed upstairs, Bella waved goodnight to my parents, who just stood their smiling. I knew that caring about someone other than myself would make them proud of me.

Inside my room, I let Bella slide down and closed the door, preparing for bed. Bella, however, had OTHER ideas. Not that I was complaining. In less than a minute, we were both standing completely naked in the middle of my room.

"Ready to break in your childhood bed?" she smiled, walking backwards towards the bed.

"Fuck, yes," I groaned, crawling on top of her on the bed. She was breathing heavily, and I could feel the heat of her blush warming my skin. "Have I told you how much I love you?" I said, brushing her lips softly.

"Not recently," she said, smiling and reaching up to kiss me again.

I placed my hands on either side of her face and sighed. I was a lucky bastard, and I knew it. I never wanted to fuck up even a little bit ever again.

"I love you, Bella," I said, tasting the side of her neck and moving my hands to trace the curve of her breast with my palm.

"Wait!" I heard her gasp. I pulled back, afraid that I had hurt her. She simply reached over the side of the bed and pulled her ipod out of her bag. Typical Bella. "I saved a playlist for this occassion," she said, placing it on the ipod dock on my nightstand. Then she reached for both of our phones and silenced them. "No more interruptions," she sighed, pressing play.

The first chords of "He Lays In The Reins" by Calexico and Iron & Wine came on, and I returned all of my attention to Bella. The slow, steady beat of the song already clued me in to how Bella wanted the rest of the night to go, and I couldn't have agreed more.

I took the entire song and all of Dave Matthews' "Lover Lay Down," to worship her body, spending extra time at her breasts, which, honestly, I would be perfectly happy to live in. When we were both sufficiently worked up (I was way past worked up, but…slowing down was helping), I grabbed a condom from my nightstand. Bella grabbed it from my hand and ripped the package open.

Her eyes pierced into mine, and I rolled back, allowing her to push the condom on. "Safety first," she laughed.

I rolled my eyes. "Always trying to ruin the moment, Bel," I scolded her.

She interrupted me by pulling me back on top of her body and running her hand down my sides to squeeze my ass. _Holy fucking shit. That was new. And not bad, either._

I ran my cock up and down her slit, teasing us both. At the first chords of "This Year's Love," by David Gray, she whimpered, "Please, Edward." With that, I pushed into her slowly, both of us breathing into it. We both pushed against one another leisurely, relishing in the feeling of being able to take our time. The next few songs went by in a haze of pure pleasure.

Still staying connected, I rolled us over so that Bella was on top of me. The song playing was "You Will Be Loved" by Sia (Bella's favorite), so I figured that she would want to be in control. She paused, finding a more comfortable position, as I sat up to meet her, propping myself up against the headboard.

It was the most intimate position we'd ever been in. It was the most intimate position I'd ever been in…ever. As she began to rock against me, I pulled her torso closer to mine, so I could kiss her. I wrapped my hands in her hair as we both moaned against each other's mouths. Soon, her breathing grew ragged as she moaned out a breathy, "Edward…yes…"

Her sounds were getting more frequent, and I knew that she was insanely close. I didn't want it to be over yet, but I was heading towards my climax, too. I pulled her legs around my waist and pushed myself into her further. I was brought in deeper and couldn't help but roll my head back and sigh, "Oh, God, Bella…"

I pushed harder and harder until Bella's climax overtook her. She pulled my mouth to hers, sucking on my bottom lip as she shuddered around me. Seconds after, I followed with the most mind blowing orgasm I'd ever experienced…and I'd experienced some good ones.

Sweaty and exhausted, Bella rolled off me and onto the other side of the bed, giving me a chance to clean up.

"Wow, that was amazing," Bella sighed happily, closing her eyes and pulling herself up to rest on my shoulder. I was more than glad that our day had turned around so completely.

"Happy Thanksgiving, Bel," I whispered into her hair.

_Happy Thanksgiving, indeed._

**Chapter End Notes: **

**Comments, feelings, thoughts? What do you want to see next? Seriously...let me know :) **


	23. Chapter 23

**AN: Thank you to everyone who voted for the initial round of the Indie Twific Awards. I made it into the finals for voting…what the hell? You guys are fuck-awesome. If you feel so inclined, go ahead and vote again—or just go to check out some super stellar stories. **

**Per usual, all the songs used in my chapters are on my page – go check it out :)**

EPOV

The next morning I expected to wake up wrapped around my beautiful, naked girlfriend, but instead I rolled over onto cold sheets and a piece of crumpled paper. I read over Bella's illegible handwriting quickly and laughed softly to myself.

_**Bunny,**_

_**Your devil of a sister pulled me out of bed before the sun this morning (in that light I could actually read the 666 on her forehead). Unfortunately, I don't know when I'll be back, but Alice promises it'll be worth both our whiles for me to go shopping with her…I'm not sure if slutty lingerie is worth hours in a mall on the worst shopping day of the year, but I guess you'll let me know ;) Miss you already. **_

_**xo, Bel**_

Slutty lingerie? Yes, please. Thank you, Alice.

After putting on some clothes, I headed downstairs where both of my parents were sitting happily at the kitchen table. I poured myself a bowl of Cinnamon Toast Crunch (cereal to the Gods) and flopped down next to them.

"I can't believe you still eat that shit, Edward," my dad chastised. Oh the hazards of having a doctor as a father…so nutrition conscious.

"It's delicious," I said between spoonfuls, "and as long as your wife buys it for me, I will continue to eat it."

"Baby, don't talk with your mouth full," my mom reprimanded me, handing me a napkin where my milk had sloshed over the side of the bowl. I swallowed exaggeratedly and smiled for both of them.

"Better?"

My mom nodded absent-mindedly and continued to fill out her ridiculous crossword puzzle in the back of one of those gossip magazines.

"So, why aren't you out with everyone else?" I asked my mom.

"They all left at 6 AM. And unlike your friends and siblings, no sale is worth waking up that early. Did Bella go with them, too?"

"You left Bella alone with them?" my dad stared incredulously.

"What? Why is that weird? Wait—why did EVERYONE have to leave to shop today? Am I all alone?" I whined. I hated being alone. I used to love it, but now that I had Bella, my life felt lonely without her there.

"Sorry, sucker. You're stuck with us today," my dad laughed, downing his coffee. "Emmett claimed he needed at least 20 different DVDs, and of course Jasper got dragged along with the dynamic shopping duo. How the hell did Bella get herself pulled into that one?"

"Alice can be…persuasive," I blushed, knowing exactly how she was convinced…and I couldn't wait to reap the benefits of her shopping trip later tonight. I tried to suppress my smile thinking about Bella wearing new underwear, but my dad caught it. He laughed loudly and ruffled my hair.

"Oh, Edward. You can take the boy away from the sluts, but you can't take the slut out of the boy."

"And on that note, I'm going to head out," I said, scraping my chair back and hurrying out of the kitchen. My parents were no strangers to my sex life, but my dad's obvious affection for Bella (plus the fact that she was sticking around longer than a week) made the conversation a little more awkward.

"You can run, but you can't hide, Edward!" I heard my dad call out to me as I made my way into the sunroom.

Growing up, the sunroom had been my personal sanctuary. Not only did it have the most comfortable couches, but it had a huge bay window that looked out onto our backyard, which was currently a mix of red, orange, and yellow gloriousness…and it housed my instruments. Sitting at my Steinway baby grand, I took a deep breath and began my scales while gazing out into the yard.

Halfway through my G major scale, my phone buzzed from on top of the piano. It was a text message from Rosalie? That's weird. Rosalie never contacts me in any way, shape, or form.

Scrolling down I realized it wasn't a text message, but a PICTURE message. Fuck me. It was a picture of Bella staring in the changing room mirror. She obviously had no idea that Rosalie had taken the picture, which only made her look sexier. I almost came in my pants looking at the lingerie she was wearing. The set was mostly white with black lace detail. Yum. It was delicate enough to still look like my Bella, but it was definitely made to come off. Oh, God. Looking at her in white lingerie made my mind go to VERY bad places…you know, the place where she'll actually be wearing white lingerie under a white dress…

And, we're stopping that train of thought. Just don't go there.

…yet.

My mind was at war with itself once again, so to distract myself I gazed at the picture of Bella some more. Just then I noticed that Rosalie had written a text with the picture.

**The first of your multitude of presents. Don't you wish you were here?**

Wow. Sweet, Rose. Way to kick me when I'm all alone…and completely turned on. I replied quickly.

**You are the meanest person I know, Rose. Slash the nicest. Thanks for that**.

I closed the phone, sadly, and returned to the piano. I began playing the first thing that popped into my head without even thinking about it, Elton John's "Tiny Dancer."

_Blue jean baby, L.A. lady, seamstress for the band_

_Pretty eyed, pirate smile, you'll marry a music man_

_Ballerina, you must have seen her dancing in the sand_

_And now she's in me, always with me, tiny dancer in my hand_

Playing through the rest of the song, I thought about how the song would make a great addition to our set. Thinking some more about what we could do to mix it up, I grabbed my old guitar from the corner and set up shop on the couch. I played through hours worth of my favorite songs, enjoying being alone for the first time in months. I was playing through the last few bars of Bad Company's "Feel Like Making Love," when I heard a sniffle from the doorway.

I looked up to see my mom with tears running down her face. I was about to get up to comfort her when she smiled and sat down next to me.

"I miss hearing you play," she sniffed. I wrapped my arm around she shoulders and smiled.

"I miss playing for you. What do you want to hear?"

"Something original?"

Hmm. I hadn't played anything original for anyone for years. In fact, no one had really heard my original pieces since high school.

"Please, Edward," she continued. "You're so talented, and it would be a shame for you to play in a cover band forever…"

"I can't just leave the band, " I interrupted. That would be wrong.

"I'm not saying that, Edward…just, don't disregard it either. Maybe you should talk to Bella about it?"

That was an interesting idea. Could Bella and I record a demo? Send it out to agents? I knew somewhere in the back of my mind that Emmett and Jasper had no intention of playing professionally, but would Bella want to? Would she want to sing MY songs? I realized that as well as Bella and I knew one another's personalities and quirks and bodies, we had never had a real serious discussion about where we wanted our lives to go. That was slightly disconcerting. I squirmed in my seat.

Taking a deep breath, I sat down at the piano and began to play an original song for my mom. It was a fairly new song that I had written in the midst of figuring out how to stay away from Bella romantically. Needless to say, it was a bit emotional with a slight angry edge to it. Playing it now seemed ridiculous, since I now had Bella all to myself…well…there was still the matter of Jake to contend with, but I was going to work on that. That said, though, I loved the song.

My mom clapped loudly and smiled as she made her way out of the room. "Sounds good, baby! Oh, look…you've got a visitor, Edward," she called from down the hall.

That was bizarre. I hadn't really kept in touch with any of my high school friends with the exception of Jasper, so I had no idea who would even know I was home, much less come and visit me.

Seconds later, I was flat on my back on the couch with Bella lying on top of me. The image of her in that lingerie came flooding back as she pressed small kisses to my face, and my hard on returned in full force.

"Someone's excited to see me," she grinned, wiggling in my lap.

_Ow. Fucking hell, Bella! That is NOT comfortable._

_Shh, you're about to get rewarded, silly. No complaining!_

_Right._

"I didn't think you were going to be back this early," I smiled, glancing at my watch. It was already 4 PM? Shit. How had THAT happened?

"Emmett was getting bored. We went to Best Buy first, and he's been annoying Rosalie to go home for the past four hours at least," she said in between small kisses on my jaw. I would purr if I was sure it wouldn't creep her out. God, I could live with Bella on top of me forever and be perfectly content. "But, we have at least two hours until the rest of them get home…what do you want to do?" she said, continuing to kiss me.

"Can I open one of my presents?" I grinned, staring into her eyes. I knew she loved my eyes, and I was going to pull out all of my tricks to get her naked before dinner. Seeing through my plan, she slid down slightly and rested her head on my chest, where she could avoid my pointed gaze.

"Please?" I whined, running my fingers through her hair.

_Double whammy. Hair PLUS whining. Oh, she is SO mine._

"You can stop whining, Edward," she laughed, pushing herself up to look at me again. "I was never going to say no. Now let's go get changed in your room, " she said, pulling me off the couch.

_Wait, did I hear that right? Let's…as in let US…as in we BOTH have to change? I'm not sure how I feel about that development._

Pulling me into my room, she sat me down on the bed forcefully by my shoulders. "Now, close your eyes, and no peaking," she said sternly.

_No problem, baby. I closed my eyed, but adjusted myself while waiting. Fuck, I was getting excited. Please be wearing what I hope you're wearing…_

Just then, I felt something thrown into my lap. "Okay, you can look," she said. "Then it's your turn."

I opened my eyes to be greeted with the sight of Bella in a navy bikini. It was no lingerie, but she still looked DAMN good. I looked down into my lap, and sure enough there was a pair of my own swim trunks on my lap. We could definitely have some fun swimming alone for the next two hours. Good idea, Bella. My girlfriend was a genius.

"You look amazing, Bel," I said, pulling her onto my lap. She leaned in and kissed my cheek softly before leaning closer to my ear and whispering.

"Thank you, but this is only the beginning of my present. You get the rest when you win Marco-Polo downstairs…I'll race you," she said, bounding off of my lap and running down the stairs.

I laughed and grabbed two towels from the linen closet before putting on my trunks and heading down to the pool. Bella was already in the pool when I got downstairs. Her hair was completely soaked and flowing down her back as she broke through the water. I dove in, seeking out her legs underneath the water. Breaking through the surface I heard Bella call out to me.

"Nuh uh, Edward" she tsked. "Close your eyes, or no present…"

Smiling and closing my eyes, I reached my hands in front of me and called out, "Marco!"

I heard a splash and a giggle from the corner of the room and spun to face it. However, I heard Bella's breathy, "Polo!" from the opposite side.

_Fuck. Eyes closed and listening for Bella added a whole new level of arousal to my life. Note to self, try blindfolds…_

I slowly walked towards her voice, knowing that the only way I was going to catch Bella is if she was going to let me.

BPOV

I watched Edward from the side of the pool as he walked patiently with his eyes closed and hands outstretched. Such a good boy. He looked glorious completely soaked from the pool. My eyes washed over the droplets of water falling from his darkened hair over his eyes and cheekbones. Gah. And this boy was completely mine? Life was good.

However, I had definitely missed Edward today…and yesterday. Ugh, yesterday. I had gotten so mad at Jake all over again, and unfortunately I took it out completely on Edward. You know what they say about not killing the messenger? Well…I forgot to listen. And now, to thank him for being the very best boyfriend and apologizing when he legitimately did nothing wrong, I was going to give him a present.

Taking off my wet top and throwing it to the side of the pool, I jumped back in and laughed to myself slightly. He was in for a treat. Edward whipped around, hearing my noises, but I pushed off of the wall and swam as far as I could without coming up for air. Finally, I reached the other corner and shouted a winded, "Polo!"

He spun around again, and I couldn't help but break out into a full grin at how childish he looked. I couldn't wait to wipe that look of playful innocence off of his face. Furrowing his eyebrow he called out, "Marco?" as more of a question, and I laughed again. Unable to take any more anticipation, I finally swam up right behind him and whispered, "Polo," into his ear softly.

I could feel him shiver as he began to turn around slowly. I leaned in and kissed his shoulder softly, and he broke out into my favorite smirk. Keeping his eyes closed, I pushed his wet hair out of his eyes before positioning myself in front of his outstretched hands. I couldn't help but break into spontaneous giggles as his hands reached my bare chest. His mouth dropped as his eyes widened with shock.

"Surprise?"

"Is this my present?" he asked, his eyes darkening with the firming of his grasp on my breasts.

I gasped loudly at his touch and pulled him towards me. He licked his lips subconsciously as his eyes darted down to his hands. Lowering his mouth to my chest, he slid his hands around my waist and effortlessly lifted me to sit around his waist. God, I loved swimming.

"Yes," I groaned, breaking into goose bumps as the heat of his mouth left my breasts and trailed up to suck at my neck.

He continued moving up to my jaw and my cheek, finally coming to a rest on the top of my head. He pulled me close, our bare chests softly sliding against one another, only reigniting my chills. I rested my chin on his chest and looked up into his blazing eyes. He smiled my favorite smile and attempted to warm me by rubbing his hands up and down my shoulders and arms. I shivered again, uncontrollably, and he sighed.

"Hot tub, Bel?"

I nodded as my teeth chattered lightly. You'd think an indoor pool would be heated more than this, however, I had a feeling that the pool water wasn't the only cause of my chills. Pausing, I glanced around the room to make sure that no one was around to see me topless. Satisfied, I reached for my bathing suit top, but Edward beat me to it, throwing it across the room from the hot tub.

"You'll get that back after we're done in the hot tub," he smirked. Only Edward. I rolled my eyes and climbed out of the pool and walked the short distance to the hot tub. Edward's eyes followed me as he got out of the pool, and he turned on the jets before sliding into the water and pulling me to straddle his lap.

"Impatient…" I laughed.

"You said it was my present," he whined.

"Oh, I'm sorry, I didn't realize that you wanted your family to see me naked, too…maybe we could invite your dad in and he could join?" I laughed. Edward's expression went from shocked to horrified in a matter of seconds.

"N-no way, Bella!" he yelled, crushing my bare chest against his, wrapping his arms tightly around my waist. I sighed and leaned my head into the crook of his neck.

"I was kidding, bunny. Besides, your mom is making dinner, and your dad and Emmett are starting in on the pile of newly purchased DVDs. I think they said they were starting with _The Dark Knight_, so we have a few hours to ourselves. I promise," I said, kissing the underside of his jaw.

Edward's grip relaxed completely as he moved my arms to wrap around his neck. "Well, in THAT case…" he said, lifting my chin up and towards his mouth.

I relished in the opportunity to make out with my beautiful boyfriend and settled more comfortably into his lap as I brought my wet mouth to meet his. The steam swirled around us as I opened my mouth to welcome his tongue to meet mine. I groaned, having missed his taste all day and ground my hips into his. I could feel his erection underneath me, and I shifted slightly so I could rub up against him as his tongue continued to stroke mine. I could feel my arousal building as my hip movements became more aggressive.

"Bella," Edward panted, moving one hand to rest on my thigh to push me back slightly. I leaned my head back as his other hand moved to palm my breast.

"Edward, please…" I moaned, writhing against his hand that was placed on my thigh, keeping me far enough back from his erection to keep my orgasm at bay. He laughed, placing small kisses onto my hot, wet shoulder. My groan of frustration turned to one of elation, though, as he moved his hand from my thigh to underneath my bikini bottom to rub against my aching clit. Finally, he inserted two fingers into my core, pumping into me in time with my movements. Feeling my orgasm sweep over me with a final flick of his thumb, I pulled his face to me roughly to moan into his mouth. I collapsed back into his lap and onto his shoulder, pressing my chest into his once again.

"Did you know that your boobs have gotten bigger?" Edward asked with a huge smile on his face as he squeezed one of my breasts. "They used to be a perfect handful," he continued, brushing his thumb against my puckered skin, "but now they're like a handful and a half…"

"Yeah, I did," I chuckled, shivering under his attentive touch. "Another benefit of birth control pills, I guess. Although I spent way too much money buying new bras today, so I guess it's a double edged sword."

"No fucking way," he groaned, continuing his light touch with one hand, "those are both good things in my humble opinion…um, Bel, can I ask you something?" Edward asked nervously, removing his hand from my chest. That was weird. Edward is rarely nervous…especially when talking to me…and especially not after talking about new underwear with one hand on my breast.

"Of course, bunny," I smiled, leaning back to look into his serious eyes.

"So, you were talking the other day about how you got that DVD sent to you on your birthday, and I realized that I don't know when that is…"

"It's September 13. Don't worry—you didn't know me then," I laughed, wondering why he still looked so nervous. "When's yours?"

"June 20," he answered, looking down. "Bella, did you realize that we haven't been out on a single date?"

I thought about it for a second. He was right. We had spent so much time covering up our relationship that we hadn't had the experience of going out just the two of us.

"That can be changed, Edward," I laughed, kissing his flushed cheek. "Are you asking me out?" I flirted.

"Um…yeah, I guess I am…" he sighed, running his hand through his hair. Another nervous tick. Seriously, Edward…what's going on?

"What's up, Edward?" I asked adamantly. "I just came all over your fingers, and you're looking at me like you're about to tell me that you ran over my puppy. Let's have it already. You know you can ask me anything."

"Okay, well…I know this is going to seem like it's coming out of left field, but…I was just wondering…do you want to be a professional musician?"

That's what he wanted to ask me? Okay, weirdo.

"Well, I guess that depends," I explained.

"Depends on what?" Edward asked, cocking his head to the side, trying to figure me out.

"I would love to be a rock star, but that's not a reasonable life goal, is it? It all depends on whether I was able to get a recording contract and sustain a living. And it depends on the type of music the label would want me to sing and how they'd want me to portray myself, I guess. Also, I don't really write music, so that's another concern. My backup plan was always to be a music teacher, but that seems like kind of a cop out, right?" I rambled.

"No, not at all," he jumped in. "But I was just wondering where you see yourself in the future. You know…goals, life ambitions, all that good stuff…we haven't really talked about that at all…"

I paused for a second. "Edward, are we really having a conversation about our future right now?"

He smiled shyly, tucking his head into his chest slightly. No wonder the poor thing looked like he was ready to burst a blood vessel. This was his first "future of the relationship" talk EVER.

"Edward," I smiled, running my fingers through his hair, pulling his eyes back up to mine. "I love you so much. I love you more than I thought was possible to love someone else. If you want to be a professional musician, I will definitely support you. But if you're asking if I wanted to be a professional musician WITH you, the answer is without a doubt yes."

"Good," he sighed, relaxing into my touch. "Because, Bel, when I think about what I want in my life, you're always there with me. Also…um…I kind of wrote a song that I wanted to record with you…" I gasped in surprise. "If you don't want to, that's okay, too. No pressure at all…seriously. My mom was the one who gave me the idea…it's stupid, never mind…"

"Stupid? What are you talking about? Edward, are you serious?" I asked, completely shocked. "You wrote me a song? Like…a song for ME to sing? Wh…when? Wh…why?"

He laughed, pulling me as close as possible, his arms resting under the water at the small of my back. "What do you mean, 'why?' I love you, and you inspire me. I wrote it during our two week sex hiatus," he smiled, his eyes lighting up. "It gave me something else to do besides worry about our possible future child…"

In that second, I was feeling super overheated. I wasn't sure if it was the hot water, the close proximity of our bodies, or the fact that he wrote me a song, but…I felt like I was on the verge of spontaneously combusting. I leaned in and pressed my lips to his firmly, gripping his head with both of my hands.

When I pulled back he smirked and cocked one eyebrow laughing. "Is that a yes to recording the song, then?"

"Of course it's a yes! Edward!" I squealed, pulling him off of the hot tub seat and into the middle where I could properly hug him. Also, standing up for a second gave me a chance to cool down, exposing my chest to the room. "I love you, I love you, I love you," I said in between kisses.

I wrapped my arms around his neck to urge him to lean down to kiss me better. Sometimes it's not so fun being so short. Luckily Edward got the hint, but instead of leaning down, he pulled me up towards him, lifting me in the water. My wet chest slid against his with ease, and I moaned into his mouth.

"Bella," he groaned, deepening our kiss and bringing his hands to cup my ass. Instinctively, our hold on one another tightened, and I closed my eyes, getting lost in the sensation of our wet bodies sliding against one another as we continued to kiss.

"Hey guys, Jasper sent me to tell you that—Oh my fucking hell! Shit! Motherfucker! Are you guys naked? Oh, oh my God, my eyes!" My eyes snapped open to witness Emmett flailing around the room with one hand over his eyes as he tried to stumble back towards the door.

_Of course this would happen to me. And of course it would be EMMETT…of all people._

Edward pulled us back under the water quickly, so the bubbles were covering my body appropriately, as he clutched me to his chest and away from Emmett's eyes. As Emmett continued to walk without his eyesight, though, he managed to get his feet tangled up in my…oh, fuck.

With a large splash, Emmett fell into the pool. Just as he broke through the water, coughing and sputtering, Carlisle, Esme, Alice, Jasper, and Rosalie all ran into the poolroom to check on what was making such a commotion.

"Oh my God, Emmett, are you okay?" Rosalie asked, kneeling at the side of the pool, leaning down to examine Emmett's face.

"Yeah, I'm fine," he grumbled. "I just…tripped on…" he mumbled as he struggled to remove whatever tripped him from his feet. He finally untangled himself and pulled my bathing suit top off of his legs and threw it onto the ground. Rosalie's eyes widened as she held up my top, looking from it to Edward and me, still locked in our tight embrace under the water of the hot tub.

"Bella, are you naked?" Rosalie smirked.

There was a short pause followed by raucous laughter, which echoed loudly in the large room. I looked over my shoulder to see both Carlisle and Esme clutching their sides. I forced myself to look away, tucking my head into Edward's shaking shoulder (just because I couldn't HEAR his laughter didn't mean I couldn't feel it…bastard).

"This SO isn't funny, Edward…" I grumbled.

"This is like out of a movie, Bel—it's hilarious," he chuckled.

"Payback's a bitch, Bella!" I heard Jasper sing-song from the other side of the room. Unable to control my reaction, I spun around in Edward's arms, gaping at Jasper, who was grinning broadly. Alice's mouth dropped wide open, and I realized that my chest had risen above the level of the water. They could now SEE that I was naked, rather than just infer it from seeing my top in Rosalie's hands. Oh, great.

I felt Edward's large hands come to wrap around my chest, effectively covering me up again, and I couldn't help but blush at the sensation of his hands on me again.

"Nice solution, Edward," Carlisle laughed. Esme smacked his arm, but despite her aggressive actions, I could still see her lips twitch into a small smile.

"I can't believe you, Jasper Whitlock!" I yelled. "This is your idea of payback? I showed our friends a musical, and you showed them my tits!"

I clapped my hand to my mouth realizing what I had said in front of the Cullens. They were never going to invite me back EVER. Charlie taught me better than to behave like this in public.

"My eyes will never be the same," Emmett groaned, climbing out of the pool, sloshing water everywhere.

"You didn't have to look," Edward growled from behind me, pulling us under water again.

"Oh, yeah…because I WANTED to see you and Bella rubbing up on each other…" Emmett trailed off before throwing me my top. "I'm going to take a shower now. I feel so dirty," he shuddered, grabbing Rosalie's hand and leaving the room.

Esme rolled her eyes and pulled on Carlisle's hand, leading him out of the room. "Dinner in 30 minutes, kids!" she called out, leaving Edward and me alone with Alice and Jasper.

"I hate you, Jasper," I huffed, crossing my arms over my bare chest. Edward burst into laughter, standing up and leaving me in the hot tub alone to grab our towels.

"Dude, you're such an ass," Edward joked, narrowing his eyes and smacking Jasper's head. Jasper rubbed his head in pain as Alice rolled her eyes and grabbed a towel from Edward's hand, finally coming over to me. She smiled apologetically and held the towel out.

"Turn around, baby," she cooed out to Jasper. As soon as Jasper was turned around, I finally stood up from the hot tub and climbed out, wrapping myself in the towel immediately.

"Thanks, Alice."

Just then, Edward ran towards me, lifting me into his arms while running upstairs to his room and plopped us down onto his bed.

"That was terrible, Edward…I'm never going to be able to look at your parents in the eyes again," I complained, pulling Edward on top of me. If I was going to be miserable, I may as well have my slutty boyfriend comfort me.

Twenty minutes later, we were both showered and suitably comforted. But then, to make me miserable again (of course), my phone started ringing with 98 Degrees. …Jake. Swell. Because my day needed to get worse.

Edward looked at the phone and then back to me, wondering why I wasn't answering the phone. He picked it up and held it out to me, but I shook my head. I had no desire to deal with Jake right now. I had just been thoroughly humiliated, and I really didn't want to talk to him right now.

"Bella, you don't need to avoid him because of me…" Edward said, offering me the phone again.

I sighed and answered the phone. "Hey, Jake…what's up?"

"Nothing…I just wanted to see how your Thanksgiving went…" he asked.

"Jake, I don't really have time to get into this right now—we're about to have dinner…" I explained, completely exasperated. I didn't have enough energy for this. Not at all.

"Seriously, Bells?" Jake yelled angrily into the phone. "I just called to see how you were doing, and you're doing it again! You're totally blowing me off!"

This was getting ridiculous. "Jake, stop it. I'm not blowing you off…I'm a guest in this house, and it'd be rude for me to be late to dinner, especially since it's my last night here, okay? We can talk later, I promise."

"No! We're going to talk now! I'm not supposed to come second string to you…this is fucking out of control…" he fumed.

"Hold on a second please, Jake," I said in my nicest voice.

I literally didn't have the stamina to fight with him anymore. With tears of frustration lingering in my eyes, I held out the phone to Edward, covering the receiver.

"Remember when I said that next time you could give him a verbal lashing?" Edward nodded his head slightly. "It's next time," I said, thrusting the phone into Edward's hand, sinking into his bed with my head in my hands. I had had enough of being yelled at and treated like crap from my supposed best friend.

"Jake," Edward began gruffly, starting to pace around his room. "I don't know WHAT you said to Bella, but the fact that she handed the phone over to ME is pretty telling, isn't it? You claim that Bella is your best friend, but you're sure as hell not treating her like one."

_Thank you, Edward—that's what I've been saying!_

"Bella is perfect. She's a goddess, even. And the fact that you can call her names and yell at her and make her feel ashamed of herself and then expect her to continue to respect you…much less be your friend or anything…more…is bordering on insane!"

Jake must have started to respond because I heard grumbling from the receiver, but Edward put a quick stop to that, continuing to rant at him. "No, Jake—she won't be manipulated by you anymore. The fact that you were in a previous relationship with her doesn't bother me at all…"

Uh oh…what the hell was Jake saying? Edward's voice got louder with each word as he progressed. "I won't have you upsetting Bella any more…do you hear me? Bella is NOT your girlfriend anymore, and you need to come to terms with that…and soon! I love her, and I plan on making her my wife one day, and what will you do then?"

_Say what, now? Did he just say…wife?_

"Shape up your act, Black, otherwise Bella won't be returning ANY of your calls. Is that clear?" Edward sighed and looked at me apologetically. I could only stare, stunned at the man in front of me. "Well, I'm glad we could have this talk, Jake. I'll hand you back to Bella now."

I nervously stood up and took the phone back from Edward. "Jake?" I whispered nervously into the phone.

"I won't yell anymore. I get it," Jake croaked into the phone. Wow, he had DEFINITELY been yelling back. "Edward's a pretty decent guy."

"Yeah, he is," I smiled, looking at Edward, who was still pacing nervously.

"No, Bells…I really get it. I…I guess it's time for me to let you go. I'm pretty sure I heard him say the word, 'wife.' That word makes me want to run and hide and vomit, but he sounded fairly confident, so I think we're officially on different pages now. No more casual sex for you anymore, huh?" he attempted to joke. "Okay…well. Bye, then, Bells. Stay in touch when you can. Let me know what's going on from time to time…"

"Sure, Jake," I said softly. "Bye." I closed the phone and wrapped my arms around Edward tightly. No one had ever stuck up for me quite like he just had, and I loved him all the more for it. "Thanks, bunny. That was…"

"Don't worry about it, Bel," he said, kissing the top of my head. "But I'm sure my family heard me yelling and dinner is definitely ready, so…"

EPOV

Today had been an emotional rollercoaster to say the least. I couldn't fucking believe that Bella had actually let me yell at Jake. Oh, it felt SO good. And I think that Jake finally got the point that he wasn't the number one guy in Bella's life anymore…finally. It only took him two fucking months.

_Yeah, and you implied that you were going to propose to Bella…in front of Bella…_

_Well, I am going to eventually_.

_That's pretty serious shit, Cullen. Let's start off with recording a demo, and then work on that later…MUCH later._

_Sounds like a plan. Break!_

By the time Bella and I made it down to dinner, the entire family was already at the table looking at me expectantly. I shook my head slightly and mouthed, "Jake," to Alice, who had cocked her head in question at Bella's tear stained cheeks.

"Sorry we're late," Bella apologized unnecessarily.

"What? You didn't get enough time in the hot tub?" my dad joked. I glared at him, but surprisingly Bella started laughing. It was the first time she had smiled since we were "accidentally" discovered by Emmett…I was going to fucking kill Jasper for that one. I had never seen Bella so embarrassed before. Plus, my dad had officially seen Bella topless. I was never going to hear the end of that one.

"Well, since we know how Edward's day was…how was shopping?" my mom laughed. Naturally, Alice started spewing off stories about how great the sales were, and I was reminded that I hadn't received the pleasures of Bella's new lingerie yet. Something to look forward to AFTER dinner.

Bella slipped back into family mode with ease, but I kept a hand on her thigh through dinner just in case she needed extra comfort…

_Yeah, that's TOTALLY why…right._

After dinner, I heard Bella approach my parents nervously. "Carlisle, Esme…I just wanted to apologize for earlier—it was completely inappropriate, and I don't want you to feel like I was disrespecting you in your home…"

"Please," my mom interrupted. "If that were the case, Emmett and Rosalie would have been disrespecting the house FAR more than you two," she laughed. "Bella, it's been such a pleasure having you these past few days, and I hope that we can continue this tradition for years to come…" she choked, stifling her tears.

Bella nodded enthusiastically and embraced my mother tightly. "Thank you for having me. This has been the best Thanksgiving I've had since losing my father, and I know that he would have loved your family, too," she sniffled.

_Oh, great. Now they were both crying. _

My dad seized the opportunity and brought both of the women into a large hug. "Bella, feel free to come back ANY time…" my dad smiled. "with or without Edward…"

"Thanks, Dad," I smiled before pulling Bella away from them. "Love you, too."

"Good night!" they called out as I brought Bella back up to my room. I couldn't believe all that we had hashed out today. Bella and I were really going to try…we were going to record my songs…we were going to send out demos…we were going to approach scouts and labels and go for it.

Before I could wrap my head around anything else, I was pressed up against my door with Bella's lips against mine. I kissed her back softly.

"What was that for?"

"For standing up for me to Jake. For protecting my virtue in front of your family," she smirked, moving into the center of the room away from me slowly. Just then, she started talking again while starting to remove articles of clothing. God, yes. I've been a good boy this year. "For writing a song for me. For always knowing what to say. And for giving me the best Thanksgiving vacation I can remember," she grinned, stepping out of her final piece of clothing.

She spun around slowly, letting me admire her from all 360 degrees. She was wearing the lingerie that Rosalie had taken a picture of her in earlier, but it was SO much better in person. The bra pushed up her newly larger breasts up giving her the perfect amount of cleavage, and the boy shorts hugged her hips perfectly while showing off her ass amazingly. I'm pretty sure I was drooling by the time she came to stand in front of me again, her hot hands pressed to my chest.

"Like your present?" she said, looking up at me through her thick lashes.

I swallowed loudly and breathed out a heavy, "Yes," before turning out the lights and unwrapping my present.

Pushing her onto the bed, I lapped at Bella's sweet skin, licking my way up her stomach to pay particular attention to her breasts.

"Edward…"

I was so fucking hard now that I couldn't hold out any longer. Reaching for a condom, I rolled it on quickly and sank into her.

"Fuck, Bella. I love you," I groaned, pumping into her slick center. I was lost to the sensations of her warmth surrounding me completely, her hands raking up and down my back and her legs wrapped tightly around my waist. Her breathing became slightly erratic as I began to thrust into her faster.

Sensing her closeness, I moved my thumb to rub at her clit lightly. I pressed harder until her jaw fell open as she pulled me to her neck as she clenched around me. She rode out her climax as I continued to thrust, steadily approaching my own orgasm. I lifted up my head slightly to look into Bella's warm, brown eyes. Moving her hands to the nape of my neck, she pulled me down to suck on my bottom lip. Unable to make it last any longer, I let my climax overtake me.

I pulsed inside her, spurring on her second orgasm. I felt like smirking. Damn, I'm good. Completely exhausted, I cleaned up quickly only to return to a sleeping Bella. Just before I fell asleep, I heard Bella mumble out, "forever," and with a smile, I gave into the darkness.

Our flight home was relatively fine. My dad had given me a Xanax, as promised, to take before take off, and it effectively knocked me out for the entirety of the flight. I was still feeling pretty groggy by the time we got home, so Bella suggested that I take a nap while she unpack.

Flopping down onto the couch, I noticed that our answering machine was blinking, indicating we had unchecked messages. That's weird…who would call us over Thanksgiving break? Everyone who would potentially contact me was with me. Groaning, I leaned over to press the light.

_Beep._

_Hi, Edward…Emmett. This is Marcus, the new bar manager from The Mansion. A few things have been brought to my attention over this past week regarding your band, The Feedback. If you could all come in Monday afternoon, there are some things we need to discuss regarding your future gigs. Please call me back as soon as possible. Thanks, and have a good holiday_.

Uh oh. That sounded worrisome. What kind of things had been brought to his attention? And what would affect our future gigs? New manager? Fuck my life. Every time one drama would be solved, another would pop up. Apparently the drama wasn't ceasing any time soon, and I wasn't too sure what Monday afternoon would bring.

**Chapter End Notes:**

**Thoughts? Feelings? Predictions? Let me know, please :)**


	24. Chapter 24

**AN: Special thanks this week to flplmtree95 for leaving the most hilarious reviews after every chapter. Glad that everyone enjoyed Bella's humiliation…there's more of where that came from ;)**

BPOV

"Don't be nervous, Bel," I heard Edward sigh as he placed a reassuring hand on my bouncing knee.

"I'm not nervous," I lied, attempting to relax under the touch of his soothing fingers.

In fact, though, I _was_ nervous. VERY nervous. After Edward had woken up from his nap, he played both Emmett and me the message from the new bar manager, Marcus, and it didn't sound so promising. Not only that, but Edward had called a band meeting for later this afternoon to discuss his idea to record with me. I had this horrible knot in the pit of my stomach, and I just knew that today wasn't going to go how I wanted it to go.

Pulling up to the bar, Edward got out and opened my door. _What a gentleman. Ha_. He grabbed my hand, interlacing our fingers, and I attempted to take a few calming breaths before entering the bar. Upon entering, though, Edward's entire body went rigid. I'm pretty sure I even heard him stop breathing. I looked up at his face, which was currently sporting a look of disgust, anger, and shock all at once.

I didn't even have time to think about what that meant because all of a sudden, a man approached us. He was fairly attractive for an older guy. He was probably in his mid to high-30s, but his casual demeanor and appearance gave him a younger look. He locked eyes with Edward first and stuck out his hand.

"Edward, I'm Marcus," he grinned. "It's nice to finally meet you."

_Finally?_

"Ah, and this must be the lovely Bella," he said, shifting his gaze over to me. He made no effort to shake my hand, but I suddenly felt uncomfortable under his scrutinizing, almost predatory gaze. I had never felt so visually violated in my life.

Thank God, Emmett came to the rescue, introducing himself and Jasper to Marcus. Edward's hand, which was still interlocked with mine, squeezed hard. I looked up into his sad eyes as he warned, "Whatever is said today, please try and remember that I'm not that person anymore, okay?"

I was about to ask him what he meant, but Marcus was already ushering us over to the bar, which was now staffed with three people I'd never seen before.

"I wanted to introduce you to our new bartenders before getting started," Marcus smiled. "This is Paul," he said, pointing to a tall, tan man cleaning glasses. Paul didn't look up, but instead shrugged in our direction as he kept cleaning. _Rude_. "This is Felix," Marcus said, clapping the shoulder of the largest guy I'd ever seen. He was almost twice Emmett's size, and I'm sure he could have been a linebacker in a previous life.

Felix looked up at all of us and smiled in greeting. "Nice to meet you all," he said, nodding his head in acknowledgment of our presence.

"Last, but not least," Marcus cleared his throat as he wrapped him arm around some ditzy looking blonde and pulled her from behind the bar, "is my beautiful girlfriend, Lauren." He paused, and I realized that Edward was squeezing the shit out of my hand. "I believe introductions aren't particularly necessary for that one," he laughed.

"Boys, nice to see you again," she said towards Emmett and Jasper.

Lauren's cold eyes stopped on Edward, and the corners of her mouth pulled up into a forced smile. "Edward," she cooed, her voice as fake as her over-bleached, over-tanned body. I froze.

_Wait a fucking second. Lauren…Lauren….LAUREN. As in former lead singer Lauren? Oh my God. No, no, no!_

_Is this what Edward felt like when he saw Jake? Because if so, I completely understand his mood swings._

Jealousy raged through my body as I extracted my hand from Edward's and slid it into his back jean pocket. Edward jumped slightly before looking down at me in awe. I looked into his eyes, trying to decipher what he was thinking, but he (in his typical Edward way) ceased all my fears with a soft kiss on my forehead. Lauren's smile faltered.

_Yeah, bitch. What now? Mine. All mine_.

Marcus either didn't notice the tense exchange or chose to ignore it because soon we were all being ushered into his office away from that bitch.

"Please, sit," he said, sitting behind his large desk. I settled in the chair next to Edward, who was beginning to look tense again. "Now, listen. I'm not going to beat around the bush," Marcus began. "Your band is fantastic. I have heard nothing but amazing things about your set and the show you guys put on…especially you two," he said, looking at Edward and me. "And that's great for ONSTAGE," he continued," however, it has been brought to my attention that you haven't been performing your OFFSTAGE duties for this bar."

_Huh? What offstage duties?_

Apparently Emmett was equally as confused because he blurted out, "What does that mean?"

"I'm glad you asked that," Marcus said. "It means that our audiences want a chance to meet up and hang out with the band after the performance. And while it's great that you two have so much chemistry onstage, it's off putting to our audiences to see you in a relationship outside of that."

_Is he suggesting what I think he is? Because I'm going to have a HUGE problem with that._

Edward spoke up first. "Are you saying that Bella and I can't have a relationship offstage?" he growled.

"No, of course not," Marcus continued patronizingly. I breathed a small sigh of relief. "I'm just here to tell you what I know. And what I know is that since Bella's induction into your band, our clientele has expanded exponentially. However, our increased revenue only lasts for as long as your hour long set. This suggests to me that either you've been skipping out of the bar immediately following your set, or you're failing to socialize properly with our clients." Marcus paused, eyes directly honed in on Edward. "And I've heard from a VERY reliable source that you never had a problem with _socializing_ properly before Bella came around."

"So, what?" I interjected, completely offended by his suggestions. "You want us to _socialize_ with your clientele after our sets? Because I don't think I can do that."

"Here is what I'm saying to you. You need to spend at least an hour at the bar after your set, and neither of you," he said pointing to Edward and me again, "can spend that hour with one another. You need to appear available—even if you're not. Is that clear?"

"Why does that only go for Edward and Bella?" Jasper asked. _Fair point, Jasper. Why indeed?_

"They're the only ones the audience care about," Marcus retorted. Emmett's jaw dropped, and I could tell he was about to explode until Edward shot him a meaningful look, telling him to back off. Edward ran his hand through his hair and sighed in frustration.

"And what happens if we don't agree with that?" I asked, honestly concerned.

"I can find a new band who will," Marcus stated adamantly.

_Oh fuck, no. I really hate him already_.

"Fine," Edward huffed, seeming resigned to Marcus's stipulations. "Is that all?"

"Yes," Marcus smiled. I shivered in disgust. He was so sleazy. "That'll be all. See you all tomorrow night."

I got out of my seat quickly, wanting to be as far away from that man as fast as humanly possible. I felt the electric tingling on the small of my back and took a deep breath as I relaxed into Edward's hand. I chuckled softly; it had been quite a while since I'd noticed the electric current of Edward's touch. Obviously, it was always there, but it had been too long since I focused on it.

_God, I love that he can still make me feel like this._

"Bye, Edward," I heard the bleached bitch call out. "I'll be seeing you," she called in her overly sweet voice.

Edward's hand moved from the small of my back to around my waist, and he pulled me as far into his side as was possible with us walking side by side.

_Yeah, suck on THAT_, I thought as I heard Lauren stomp away. _Good fucking riddance. This was going to be a LONG year if she was sticking around._

Well, one meeting down—albeit, it didn't go very well, but I was planning on having Edward make that up to me. Now we just had to get through another one, and maybe tonight I could finally breathe easy. Probably not, though.

EPOV

I couldn't say I was happy about this afternoon's revelations. First of all, Marcus wanted Bella and I to pretend NOT to be in a relationship while at the bar. That meant that three nights a week, Bella would be essentially off limits again. It was like Marcus had heard through the grapevine that Bella and I had finally come out of hiding and was forcing us back into it.

_Fucking Marcus._

_No, fucking LAUREN…_

Yeah, THAT was a fun surprise. Seeing Lauren was like having a bad acid flashback. I couldn't believe that I had ever thought she was even remotely attractive. I had no doubt in my mind that she was somehow involved in Marcus's decision to have me appear single. It was like her sick revenge or something. But, I wasn't going to let it ruin my day. I loved Bella, and Bella loved me. And that's all that mattered. Right?

Sitting in the car, I gripped my hands to the wheel and brought my head down to meet them. I just needed to breathe for a second before jumping into my second nerve-wracking endeavor of the afternoon.

"Bunny, are you okay?" Bella whispered, placing a hand on my shoulder. I immediately relaxed under her expert touch and lifted my head up to make sure _she_ was okay.

"Yeah. I'm okay," I paused. "Just surprised, I guess. And annoyed. Really fucking annoyed," I huffed.

"You're fucking annoyed?" Emmett piped in. "I'm annoyed."

"And pray tell, Emmett, why would that be?" Bella asked, turning over her shoulder.

"I hated Lauren. I always felt like she was eating me with her eyes…" Emmett said, shuddering exaggeratedly. Jasper and Bella laughed loudly, ridding the car of the awkward tension that had settled in earlier.

"At least she wasn't literally eating you," I cringed. "I can't believe I ever let her have her mouth on me."

The entire car went silent.

_And the awkward has returned. You're such a fucking moron, Cullen. Why would you say something like that with your girlfriend in the car?_

_Fix this!_

"Um, I mean, uh…" I stumbled, "fuck." I chanced a glance at Bella who was now looking purposefully out the window. The awkward tension was back in full force, and I sped home hoping to get the fuck out of there. Maybe moving one awkward situation to another would help, though. Maybe?

We all settled on the couch. It didn't escape my attention that Bella sat as far away as she could from me.

_Stellar_.

Jasper spoke up first. "So, what did you two want to talk to us about?"

Bella made no move, but instead she just continued to look at her hands in her lap. Suddenly, she whipped out her cell phone and began texting someone.

_What the hell? Weren't we about to have a really important conversation with our band? I get that I made a stupid joke, but come ON now._

"Bella?"

"You can tell them without me," Bella said, gathering her things. "Alice is already outside for me." She finally lifted her eyes to mine, and although her eyes looked slightly glassy, they were warm. "Love you," she whispered, leaning down and pressing her lips to mine. Our chaste kiss wasn't nearly as comforting as I wanted it to be, but before I could protest, she was out the door.

_That can't be good. You fucked up…again._

_Yeah, I know! Remind me to get a new filter, would you?_

_Okay, so how are you going to fix it, jackass?_

My obnoxious brother brought me out of my self-deprecating rant, of course. Emmett smacked my arm angrily.

"Dude!"

Jasper smiled half-heartedly. "Yeah, I'm going to be honest—that wasn't one of your finer moments."

I sighed, knowing that I deserved all the shit they were giving me right now. Running a hand through my hair, Jasper interrupted, bringing us back to the topic at hand.

"So, what's the deal, Edward? You called this cryptic band meeting—are you going to tell us what's going on?"

"I'm not sure if I should do it without Bella," I replied honestly.

"She said you could," Emmett added.

"Yeah, but she was pissed. What if that was like some sort of test, and then I tell you and fail and she leaves me?" I whined.

"It's not a trick, Edward…come on, don't keep us hanging."

"Okay," I sighed. "So, obviously you two know that I've been writing my own music on the side for a while now."

"A while, bro? You came out of the womb composing," Emmett laughed.

_Ugh, that's quite the visual_.

"Anyway," I continued, "Bella and I were talking about our future—"

"You were WHAT now?" Emmett interrupted again,

"Oh my God, Emmett! Do you want to hear or do you want to keep up your running commentary?" I yelled, completely frustrated. He gave me the puppy dog eyes, and I instantly felt bad. He smiled, and I couldn't help but roll my eyes. Emmett will be Emmett. "As I was saying. We were talking about our future, and I asked Bella how she'd feel about recording one of my songs."

"Whoa, Edward—that's awesome!" Jasper smiled. _Thank God for my best friend_.

"Thanks," I smiled. "Well, anyway, Bella and I want to record a demo together and send it out to scouts and labels…the whole deal. So, we were wondering where you stood on the whole topic? I mean, if you wanted to record with us, that'd be cool. You just need to know that you'd be recording my songs. And we didn't want to leave you guys without job options, but I didn't figure you two as being committed, professional musicians."

Glad that was finally off my chest, I breathed a huge sigh of relief.

"I wasn't going to say anything, but I actually got an offer to be the assistant football coach at UW for next year," Emmett said.

"Really?" I asked. I mean, I knew that Emmett had worked with the sports teams while at UW, but I had no idea that he was contemplating coaching.

"Yeah, and I'm sorry I didn't say anything, but…I haven't accepted it yet, and I wanted to talk it through with you guys first. But now I guess it's cool if I take it, right?"

"Definitely," I smiled.

"And I'm going to propose to Alice and just live off of your family's money," Jasper joked. "No, seriously. I'm not cut out for the rock star gig, but you and Bella definitely are. That's fucking awesome. Seriously, dude."

"So, we'll continue to play gigs to pay the bills until you guys hit it big, then? But spring training starts in April, so you have…six months to break," Emmett laughed.

I gulped. Having them put a timeline on our career goals made them real to me all of a sudden. Then, I realized what I needed to do just then.

"What's that look for?" Jasper asked.

"I have to go," I said, standing up, "I just figured out how to apologize to Bella," I continued, knowing exactly how I was going to make sure Bella knew she was my number one priority.

Emmett lifted his eyebrow. "Bro, sex doesn't fix stuff like the shit you just pulled."

"You're an ass, and I'm coming back with Bella. I promise," I yelled, running out the door.

BPOV

I knew I should have stuck around and had that conversation with Jasper and Emmett, but I needed some comfort. I needed hash browns and girl time with my best friend while watching my favorite TV show. So, I fled.

"_But what good is their love if it's not strong enough to overcome those circumstances?"_

"_Because in spite of the circumstances... they never stop loving._

"Oh my God, Alice, are you crying?" I said, turning to the small girl curled up in front of the television with me.

"N…no?" she said, tucking her head into my shoulder. I laughed, unable to cry anymore at the heartbreaking scene. I had seen this episode maybe 30 times since it came out on DVD. "So, why is Dawson being so cynical right now?"

"Joey just broke up with him," I explained. "Because she felt like she needed to figure out who she was without him. But she never stops loving him…well, until Pacey, but that's different," I rambled. We watched in silence for a few more minutes, but I should have known that Alice would never let that slide.

"So, are you ever going to tell me why you sent me an SOS text, Bella?" Alice interrupted, looking up through her tear soaked lashes.

"Edward's a slut," I blurted out angrily. Alice rolled her eyes.

"Bella, you know this. You've known this for months. Why did you get upset _today_?" Alice pushed.

I let it all explode. "Ugh, it was so frustrating, Alice. We entered the bar, and Edward freaked out. I didn't know what he was freaking out about until the new manager introduced us to his girlfriend, Lauren," Alice's mouth dropped. "Yeah, the SAME Lauren that was The Feedback's lead singer not even a year ago. And she was so gross, Alice. She was JUST like you described – all fake and tan and blonde and desperate. And then, Marcus tells me that Edward has to flirt with other girls at the bar so he can make more money, and I just got super freaked out, okay? I was already pissed, and then Edward made some stupid comment about Lauren having had her mouth on him. I needed Dawson," I pouted.

_Wow, that felt good._

"Bella, what do I keep telling you about telling people your feelings? Stop hiding them from everyone and taking it out on me," Alice joked, putting my face in her hands. "But you're adorable, and your actions are completely justified. Although you might want to call Edward—he's probably freaking out that you're freaking out," she laughed.

"I will. I promise. At the end of this episode," I giggled.

Just then, the door swung open and there was Edward in all his frazzled glory. The poor thing looked completely distraught. Alice was right, I really needed to tell him what I was feeling. Didn't I promise myself that I'd work on communication with him? And here I am, completely skipping out instead of dealing with my crazy surge of emotions.

"Hey," he began nervously, running a hand through his hair. I was about to jump in and apologize for my behavior, but he kept on talking. "I'm sorry, Bel. I know it feels like I've been saying that a lot recently, but I really mean it. I made an inappropriate joke, and I know it wasn't funny. But you met my father, right? It's how I was raised. And I can promise you that I'm probably more upset about you hanging out with other guys at the bar than you are…"

I stood up and walked to him, wrapping my arms around his waist, effectively silencing his apology ramblings. He rested his chin on top of my head and sighed loudly. "I'm—"

"Stop apologizing, Edward," I said, leaning my cheek into his chest and sliding my hands into his back pocket. "You didn't do anything wrong…again. Remember like two days ago when I stopped talking because I didn't want to deal with my emotions? Well, I did it again. I guess I still need to work on communication," I laughed.

"Bella, you have to realize that I'm me," Edward said, pushing off of me to look me in the eyes. "I'm going to fuck up a LOT, and you're my first girlfriend, so I really just don't know how to do this."

"Well, I'm glad I'll get to be your first for something," I joked.

"Bel, you're my first for all the important things, so don't worry about it," he said grinning mischievously, effectively warming every inch of my body.

_Why am I mad again?_

I smiled back and ran my hands up his chest to lock around his neck. Understanding, Edward wrapped his arms tighter around my waist and leaned down to bring his lips to mine. The kiss started off gently, our lips brushing against one another's at a leisurely pace of recently restored happiness; however, as is typical with Edward, my body decided that leisurely wasn't going to cut it anymore.

My lips pushed hard into Edward's, completely taking him by surprise. We stumbled back slightly until he finally got his footing and was able to pick up on my hint. His mouth pushed back with evil fervor, and I smirked against it, happy to be getting my way. Not having quite enough of Edward, I licked his bottom lip, begging for entrance into his mouth. He groaned loudly, and I took the opportunity to push my tongue past his lips to brush against his. Encouraged, Edward's hand slid lower to pull my body up slightly. The friction between our jeans was glorious, and I tilted my head back to gasp.

Just then, I turned my head to the side only to see Alice still curled up on the couch, trying desperately to ignore us. I laughed loudly, and Edward loosened his grasp on me, letting my feet reach the ground.

"Sorry, Alice," I laughed. Edward's reaction was priceless. His eyes widened in shock; he clearly had no idea that Alice was in the apartment, much less in the room with us.

"Uh…yeah," Edward mumbled, keeping his eyes on the ground. Alice did a small wave, making me burst into laughter again, but Edward had other things planned. All of a sudden I was lifted up from the ground and plopped onto my bed. Edward turned around, closing the door and walked towards me with an odd look in his eyes that I couldn't place.

EPOV

So, Bella and I needed to work on communication, clearly. What couple DOESN'T, right? Although we were clearly not mad at one another, I decided that I was going to go through with my apology plans anyway.

My nerves had completely overtaken my body as I turned to face her as she laid waiting patiently on her bed.

_God, she's gorgeous. Okay, Cullen you can do this. Break!_

"Edward is everything okay?" she asked nervously.

I ran one hand through my hair and steadied myself. I could do this. Bella was an amazing, kind-hearted, loving, and fiery girl. But her reactions are nothing if not unpredictably, so I was getting extremely nervous.

"I'm good," I began, mentally composing myself. "I brought you a present," I continued, handing her a worn, leather journal. She took it from me tentatively, and then patted the mattress next to her.

"You didn't need to bring me anything, bunny," she said, admiring the outside of the journal.

"I kind of did. Can you just open it up so I can stop freaking out?"

Bella placed one hand in mine, softly caressing the back of my hand with her thumb. I instantly relaxed under her touch, and for a second I wondered if she truly grasped the enormous power she held over me. My moment was interrupted by a large gasp as Bella flicked through the pages of the journal.

_Please don't freak out, please don't freak out…_

"Oh my God, Edward…I don't even know what to say. This is maybe the most remarkable present I've ever gotten. How did you…when did you?" she said, still flipping through the pages. I let out a huge breath that I didn't even realize I was holding.

"I was going to save it for Christmas, but then I talked to Emmett and Jasper. I figured we should just jump on it. Obviously the titles have to change, but—"

"No!" Bella interrupted.

"No, what?"

"No, I love the titles," she smiled, tears running down her cheeks.

I turned to wipe the tears from her cheeks and placed the journal in my lap. It was currently opened to the song titled, "Bella in the morning," which I wrote the day immediately following our first night together.

In fact, the journal held every composition I'd ever written, however, looking at the dates they were composed, there was nearly a five-year gap in the middle. After high school, I lost interest in composing. When there were girls and frats at my disposal, I figured composing was a waste of time. But when I met Bella, my mind would NOT stop composing for a second. In the journal there were songs titled everything from "Bella-madonna" to "Bella and my bed." Of course, none of the songs actually talked about Bella personally, but more my emotional response to being put into a new situation with her. The girl put me into an emotional tailspin, and I guess I needed some way to avoid spontaneously combusting.

"I'm glad you like it."

"Like it? Edward, I don't even have words right now…I ADORE it," she paused and looked at me curiously. "This WOULD have made a great Christmas present. So, why give it to me now?"

I lay back on the bed and pulled Bella to her side so we could look at one another. "I just want you to know that this new rule sucks. I really hate it, and I disagree with it completely. That said, we're going to have to suck it up and deal. But I need you to know that you are irreplaceable, Bella. You are the first person I have ever been in love with, and you inspire me in ways that I didn't even know what possible. I know that it's going to be one of the hardest things in the world tomorrow, watching you talk to other guys at the bar. And I know that Lauren is going to annoy the living fuck out of both of us. But I need you to know first and foremost that despite the fact that we're going to have to hang out with other people tomorrow, you will ALWAYS be coming home with me."

Bella's eyes watered and spilled onto her comforter, leaving a small wet splotch underneath her cheek. She brought one of her small hands to my cheek, and she stroked it lovingly, letting the feel of my stubble rub over her palm. "Why are you so good with words? And I'm just complete shit."

"It's why I write the songs, and you just sing them," I laughed, happy to lighten our overly serious moment. I loved Bella, and I knew I needed to reassure her, but that shit was getting heavy.

"So, are you going to play one for me?" she asked, her brown eyes sparkling.

"Maybe for Christmas," I smirked. All of a sudden, I was being suffocated by a pillow that came out of nowhere. I threw it to the ground, only to be rewarded with Bella climbing on top of me.

"Play nice, Edward," she warned.

"Later, please? I'm totally drained right now. Let's fuck instead."

Her mouth dropped in shock, and I couldn't help but laugh at her expression. "Mr. Cullen, what an outrageous suggestion!"

Oh, that fucking did it. _Mr. Cullen? Yes, please._ My cock sprang to life at her words. She noticed.

"Mr. Cullen, do you have a schoolgirl fantasy you need to tell me about?" she giggled.

All of a sudden, I had a flash of Bella with pigtail braids, a pleated skirt, and knee socks, on her knees in front of me at a desk. Oh, God—it was so wrong, but my cock disagreed, of course.

_Please_, it begged. "Maybe," I groaned as she moved one of her hands to palm me through my jeans. "Bella, weren't we just having a really serious conversation?" She nodded but ignored me completely, beginning to unzip my pants. "Alice is right outside!" I argued.

"How many times have we heard her and Jasper fucking," she retorted. Okay, that was a fair point. I had heard my best friend doing terrible things to my sister on more than one occasion. I had even witnessed it once with my own eyes. "Besides. I was a naughty girl today, and I need to be punished."

My eyes rolled back slightly at her words, and my cock was now fully sheathed in her hot little hand.

_Punished? Do you actually want to do that?_

_Um…Bella can have me whichever way she wants. If it's punishment she wants, it's punishment she's going to get_.

Bella pulled me out of my inner monologue by pulling off my pants in one long tug. Just as quickly, my shirt met it on the floor. Now I was fully naked and Bella was still completely clothed. That was no good. I went to reach for her shirt, but she climbed off of the bed just out of my reach.

_Tease!_

Just then Bella winked and pulled out her ipod. I almost started laughing at her as the first drum track came on, and I recognized the song as Van Halen's "Hot For A Teacher." Leave it to Bella to have MORE than one 80s hair-band sex fantasy.

"Um, Bel, am I the David Lee Roth in this situation? Because if we're going for accuracy here, shouldn't I be the schoolboy, and you be the hot teacher who's going to strip for me?" I laughed.

"All in good patience," she breathed, her eyes darkening as they honed in on my protruding dick, which twitched slightly under her gaze. As the first chords of the song rang out loudly, her clothes started coming off.

_Oh, yes! This was a fantasy I didn't even know I had until about two minutes ago. But so far, so fucking good_.

Under her clothes, Bella revealed a royal blue bra and thong. I was now breathing extremely hard, and the lyrics of the song weren't helping at ALL.

"_Maybe I should go to hell, but I'm doing well, and Teacher needs to see me after school._

_I think of all the education that I missed, but then my homework was never quite like this."_

Bella was now breathing equally as hard as I was, and I think the anticipation was killing us both. We had yet to truly delve into role-playing, and this was definitely new. Definitely good, but still new. She swayed her hips to the beat as she approached the bed. I was completely mesmerized, unable to look away. Suddenly she was straddling me, and I don't know what took over. Maybe it was the song, maybe it was our built up tension, but I couldn't have Bella be in control anymore.

I grabbed Bella by the waist, and turned her around so she was facing away from me on my lap. I roughly pulled down the straps of her bra and brought my hands to pull at her breasts. She moaned loudly and attempted to lean back into my chest, but I was having none of that. I pushed her to all fours as I got to my knees behind her.

_New again. And might I say, nice choice._

_Thanks?_

_Enjoy!_

The conversations between my head and my cock were getting a little out of control, but I was too far-gone to even think about it. Within seconds, I ripped Bella's bra from her body and threw it to the floor.

"I'm not good at being patient, Miss Swan," I purred, running my hand down her bare back to rest at her ass. Overcome by who knows what, I suddenly lifted my hand and brought it down on her ass…hard.

I heard her mumble, "Oh, God…" as I caressed the red mark I had left softly. I hit her again, this time on the other cheek, and I heard her shout out, "Yes!" Chuckling softly, I brought my hand from her ass down to her center, which was positively dripping.

_Holy mother of God. Cullen, you are one lucky son of a bitch._

"Oh, yes, Isabella. You like that, don't you? You ARE a bad girl," I groaned, letting the head of my cock rub against her thong. I could hear her panting, and I could feel the wetness seeping through the fabric. I couldn't wait any longer. "Bella, where are your condoms?" I breathed heavily, while still maintaining our contact.

She reached over the side of the bed, and threw me a condom from her purse. _Typical_. In my haste to get the condom on, I noticed that Bella had taken her underwear off without me. _Looks like someone WANTS to be punished_.

I grabbed her hips roughly and plunged myself inside her with no warning. She screamed out my name, and I would have smirked in satisfaction had it not been for the searing pleasure I was receiving from taking her this way. "Fuck, you're tight," I cried, thrusting into her with the beat of the music. Bella shoved her hips into mine, and I could hear the slapping of our skin coming together over the heavy guitar. This was the roughest we'd ever gone at it before, and I can't say that I wasn't enjoying myself.

I could feel Bella tightening around me, so I went with my instincts and spanked her again. Her entire body clenched around me, as she screamed out in pleasure. Wanting to see her face when she came again, I pulled out of her and flipped her to her back, driving into her with ridiculous force. Her knees were spread wide, creating the perfect amount of space for me to push into her. I would be worried I was hurting her if I wasn't able to see the sheer pleasure written across her face.

We were both breathing incredibly hard; I was surprised we weren't hyperventilating. I pulled her closer to me with every thrust, putting one hand on her waist and one right above her shoulder, creating a cage around her. When she climaxed again, I couldn't hold back any more and let myself go inside her. Sweaty and exhausted, I rolled off of her, trying to catch my breath.

"I should call you Mr. Cullen more often," Bella laughed.

"Anytime," I agreed. "Okay, now I think I'm rejuvenated enough to sing you your song. What do you think?"

She laughed, pulled herself off the bed, and grabbed my guitar from the corner of the room. "Absolutely. And don't think of putting on any clothes, because I'm sure I'm going to need a repeat performance afterwards."

"Wouldn't dream of it," I winked. Finally gathering up enough nerve, I sang the song I wrote for her to sing. We sat there, naked on her bed. She watched and listened with rapt attention as I sang her song. It was perfect.

And sure enough, as soon as I was done, I was being pulled back for a round two. Looks like the rumors are true: being a rock star WILL get you laid.

**Chapter End Notes:**

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	25. Chapter 25

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EPOV

"Stop it, Alice…" I heard Bella groan before I took an elbow to the shoulder.

_Wow. What a way to wake up_.

I jolted awake, groaning at the dull pain in my shoulder. Seriously, Bella was completely unaware of her ridiculous strength, which apparently multiplied during her slumber. Despite my shoulder, though, I couldn't help but smile. Bella and I were a mass of tangled naked limbs underneath her warm comforter, so who was I to truly complain about her sleep ramblings.

Bella's brow creased as she rolled towards me, tucking her head into the crook of my shoulder. I wondered what could be bothering her in her sleep, but then I remembered that she was yelling at Alice, which made me chuckle. _What could Alice possibly be doing her dream to make Bella hit me that hard?_

"No, Alice…'smy wedding…" she mumbled into my chest. My heart halted to a stop and then took off in flight, thundering in my chest.

_Did she just say…_

"Bella, baby," I whispered, pushing her hair off of her face, "what did you just say? Bel?" I knew that Bella slept like the dead and she probably wouldn't be able to hear me, but I couldn't help but hold my breath in anticipation. Was she dreaming about marrying me? And why wasn't that scaring the shit out of me? In fact, I think I _wanted_ her to be dreaming about marrying me. All I received in return, though, were some incoherent noises. I called them her dinosaur noises because one of them sounded distinctly like a pterodactyl.

Bella restlessly clutched her comforter and rolled away from me, mumbling some more. Since I no longer had any covers, I decided to get up and let Bella sleep a bit more. Today was going to be a big day, and I wanted her at maximum strength. I pulled on a pair of my sweats (which Bella had so lovingly stolen from me last week) and a t-shirt from the floor, hoping that I smelled reasonably okay and grabbed my cell phone from the nightstand.

_No need to wake her up with an obnoxious ringtone_.

Just as I was about to reach for the door I heard her as clear as day. "I do." There was no mistaking what she was dreaming about anymore. I should have been panicking, but I couldn't bring myself to be anything other than happy. It was true, I kind of freaked myself out during my rant at Jake when I subconsciously insinuated that we were going to get married. I used the word 'wife' for Christ's sake. But, I didn't bring it up because I figured that it would only freak Bella out more.

_Apparently not, Cullen. Apparently she wants to be Bella Cullen as much as you do._

_Okay, so…here's the plan: record demo, get big break, go on tour, propose to Bella, and get married._

_Wow. That's almost a legitimate plan, Edward. Way to get organized!_

Smiling like an idiot at the thoughts of my newly discovered life plan, I made my way out into the living room only to be greeted by all too ironic strains of:

_Today I met the boy I'm going to marry,_

_He's all I've wanted all my life and even more._

_He smiled at me and then the music started playing_

_Here's comes the bride when he walked through the door._

I laughed at the site of Alice curled up on the couch in front of the television. I couldn't believe what she was watching. "Father of the Bride, Alice? Really?" I laughed, flopping down next to her. _Oh, the irony._

"It's the only thing on television right now," she complained, stretching her legs out onto my lap. I rolled my eyes and tickled her feet lightly, which made her frown. Damn freak of nature. Who isn't ticklish on their feet? Only Alice. "Well, you're in a good mood this morning," she noticed.

"Yeah," I said, still smiling. "I guess I am."

"So, you and Bella made up," she said, "obviously." She shuddered, and I cringed at the thought of Alice actually hearing what Bella and I were doing last night. Oh well…is it really so much of a surprise that Bella and I would like it rough?

"Mmhmm," I nodded absent-mindedly letting my mind wander to memories of the sound of my hand slapping against Bella's ass...

"Edward?" Alice called, snapping her fingers in front of my face. I came to, smirking slightly. "Edward, where did you just go?" I was about to respond when she interrupted my lascivious train of thoughts yet again. "You know what…never mind. I don't want to know."

"Aw, I've missed you, Al," I smiled, pulling her closer to me. She resisted my clutch and squirmed away from me.

"What's gotten into you this morning, _Ed_?" she asked pointedly.

I was about to launch into a detailed explanation of my new life plan to Alice when I felt my phone vibrating.

_Ahah, I've been expecting this call. It's about fucking time, really_.

"Hey, Dad!"

"Uh, hold on one second, Edward," I heard him reply followed by some shuffling, crunching, and a door slamming.

"Dad, is everything okay?"

"Ugh, yeah," he grumbled. "We have this new temp who won't leave me the fuck alone. It's always, Dr. Cullen this, Dr. Cullen that. I swear, I have to hide out in my office to eat my lunch in peace today. God, I can't wait until Angie comes back from maternity leave," he continued. "Anyway, do you mind if I crunch in your ear a little bit so I can eat my lunch while we talk? I'm on a tight schedule today."

"Sure thing, Dad. Thanks for calling me back, by the way."

"No prob. So, what exactly do you need, Edward? I have to say I almost choked on my dinner last night when your mom told me you asked us for a few ithousand/i dollars. I mean, fuck, Edward. You've never so much asked for a twenty to pay for a tank of gas much less this…so, I figure this must be pretty huge," he rambled.

"Yeah, it's really big so—"

"Are you in trouble with the law?" he interrupted. "Do you need to pay someone off? Does Bella need an abortion? Shit, Edward, if it's that last one I don't know what the fuck I'm going to do with you…"

"Oh my God, Dad, no!" I shouted, interrupting his ridiculous posturing. Why when I ask for money would my father assume I was in trouble? Or that I had gotten my girlfriend pregnant?

_Don't act so indignant, buddy. There was a time not so long ago when that was a real possibility._

_Yeah, but…my dad doesn't know that._

_Pshah, semantics_.

"Okay, so what is it then?" he asked, crunching in my ear.

"Bella and I want to record a demo—"

"Whoa, Edward, that's fantastic!"

"Thanks, Dad. But the problem is I looked up local recording studios and stuff and it all costs a shitload of money," I explained. "It's $1000 plus tax to record a five song demo. That includes recording, mixing, and mastering, but it doesn't include practice time or the initial consultation with the producers. I know it's a fuck ton of money, Dad, but Bella and I really want to do this, and I could never ask Bella to dig into her inheritance for something like this when you could easily help us out…"

"Edward," my dad called, pulling me out of my nervous rambling, "you don't need to continue your justifications. I think that this is the most incredible thing you've ever done. I would be happy to cover the costs of recording your demo."

I smiled, completely elated as Alice listened on with rapt attention. "Really?"

"Of course. I didn't think you would be in a cover band for the rest of your life. Just don't forget about getting me my yacht and Lamborghini when you make it big, okay?" he laughed. "We'll call it even then."

"Right, Dad. I'll write that down on my to do list. Buy dad yacht and expensive sports car," I laughed. I could hear my dad eating away on the other line as I reveled in my euphoria. And having my dad agree to help us out with recording wasn't the only thing making me euphoric. I decided to go for it and ask my dad another pretty heavy question. "Dad? How old were you when you proposed to mom?" Alice's eyes got huge as she whipped her head around to meet my eyes. I shrugged slightly and her mouth dropped.

_Was that question really that ridiculous?_

I expected laughter and mocking from my father but all I could hear was him choking on his lunch over the line. "Dad?" I asked, worried. "Dad, are you okay? Go get the fucking temp to give you CPR—I can't be responsible for causing you to asphyxiate!" I yelled into the phone.

I heard him take a sip of whatever he was drinking and finally give his last few coughs. "I'm fine. I'm fine. You just caught me by surprise there. Um, you know what, Edward…can I call you back later? My lunch break is up, and this isn't a _pressing_ question, is it?"

"Um, no I guess not. That's fine." I heard him sigh in relief over the line. _Thanks for the vote of confidence, Dad_. "Okay, just give me a call when you get another free minute then?"

"Sure, sure. Later, Edward," my dad said shuffling off the phone.

I braced myself waiting for the ambush, but it didn't come. I tentatively turned towards Alice who was still sitting with her eyes wide and mouth hanging open. She, too, was completely silent. "Do you have something to tell me, brother dearest?" she began after her short bout of silence.

"We should probably catch up, shouldn't we?" I smiled, running a hand through my hair nervously.

"What the hell, Edward? Since when do you have life goals and ambitions and not tell me about them?" she scolded. "And since when in God's name did you even remotely consider _marriage_?" she whisper yelled.

"It's kind of a long story, are you sure you want to hear it?" I asked. She nodded excitedly as I broke into a full explanation of my epiphany of sorts. I told her all about mom's encouragement to record, my conversation with Bella, and finally Bella's sleep talking from this morning. It felt good to talk about it. Plus, I didn't realize how much I missed talking with Alice. We used to have weekly catch ups, but with our new relationships, we put each other on the back burner, so to speak.

Alice's mouth dropped again as I began the explanation of my life-plan epiphany. I hadn't put my life on a schedule, per se, but I had definitely come up with a direction. I knew what I wanted FINALLY, and I was going to do everything in my power to make that happen. She giggled uncontrollably when I told her how Bella had yelled at her in her dream, and I had to grin again at that.

Finally around 2:00, Bella emerged from her room.

"Well good afternoon, Sleeping Beauty," Alice chirped.

"Oh, God—why did you let me sleep this long, Edward?" she whined, coming to sit in my lap. I wrapped my arms around her and placed a soft kiss on her shoulder.

"He needed to spend some QT with his favorite sister, who had to endure another night in this apartment with you two. I'm going to try as hard as I can to repress everything I overheard last night…" Alice grimaced. "And on that note, I'm going to go over to Jasper's, and leave you two to talk," she said looking pointedly at me.

"Whoa, de ja vu," Bella reeled. "I feel like you said the exact same thing in my dream last night!"

"Really?" Alice pushed, knowing full well what Bella had been dreaming about.

"Yeah, except you did it to placate me because I was so mad at you. So, instead of apologizing, you just brought me Edward instead," she laughed.

"Oh? Why were you mad at me?" Alice asked.

Bella's face flushed as she glanced quickly at me and then back to Alice. "I can't remember," she grumbled.

"Are you sure?" Alice prodded.

_Subtle, Alice_.

"Okay, what did I say in my sleep, Edward, and why would you share it with Alice? Whore." she said, shoving my shoulder again.

"Ow! That's why! You fucking woke me up with an elbow to the shoulder. I swear, woman, you're going to leave me battered and bruised with all of the abuse I take from you in bed—"

"Do you really want to have this conversation?" Bella inquired, pulling down the waistband of her pajama bottoms, revealing a MASSIVE hand shaped bruise around her hip and waist.

"Oh shit. I'm fucking sorry, Bella…"

"Well, I'll forgive you when you tell me what I said in my sleep, jackass!" she huffed.

"Well, uh…"

"He heard you say, 'No, Alice—it's my wedding,' and then 'I do,'" Alice smirked, heading for the door. "Bye, guys!"

_Fucking Alice._

Bella's entire body flushed in my arms as she tensed up slightly. I attempted to look her in the eyes, but she refused. Having had enough, I put my finger under her chin and lifted her face towards mine. Our eyes met and she blushed even harder.

"It was just a stupid dream, Edward, really…" Bella began frantically. I cocked my head at her, giving her the small crooked grin she loved so much, and raising one of my eyebrows. Her eyebrows furrowed as they had in her sleep, and I raised my hand to her cheek, stroking it softly. "Why aren't you freaking out?" she whispered.

"Why are _you_?" I laughed. "Obviously, we both heard me yell at Jake on Sunday, right?" She nodded nervously, a small smile playing on her lips. "So, I'm pretty sure I used the word 'wife' in that tirade…" Bella blushed again at the word. _So fucking cute. Seriously, that never gets old._ "And in the spirit of working on communication, do you think we should talk about it?" I asked.

Bella paused. "Wait, talk about what? Marriage?" she squeaked, her voice cracked on the last word.

I nodded slowly. "If you don't want to, we won't," I added hurriedly. If she didn't want to go there, that was totally cool with me. It was a far off place in my mind, and just because it was there lingering didn't mean I wanted to pressure her or anything. Fuck, no. "It's not like I'm planning on proposing to you next week," I laughed.

"But you are planning on it?" she gulped. "Proposing, I mean?"

"Will you freak out if I say yes?" I asked tentatively, trying to gauge her reaction. "Not in the near future, of course, but I just want you to know that—"

Just then, I was cut off by Bella's lips attaching themselves to mine in a heated kiss. Her arms wrapped around my neck tightly as she shifted her position in my lap to straddle me. I wanted to laugh, but her kiss was so intense and passionate that I couldn't help but melt into it. She ended the kiss, pressing her lips to mine softly once more before pulling back.

"Not freaked out, I take it?" I laughed. Her eyes darkened as she moved one of my hands lower to her ass and the other one to her breast.

"Not freaked out at all," she breathed, grinding her hips into mine.

_Fucking hell. Talking about marriage makes your girlfriend horny. That is out of control bizarre, dude._

_Yeah, well…life makes ME horny, so who gives a fuck?_

_Fair enough_.

"Jesus, did you not get enough last night?" I joked.

"No, and I need you _now_, Edward," she moaned, returning her lips to mine in a heated frenzy. I almost had her shirt over her head when we heard a loud knocking at the front door. Sighing, I pulled it back down and removed my gorgeous, kinky girlfriend off of my lap. Looking down, I realized that I was still wearing sweatpants and it was probably a terrible idea for me to answer the door.

"Uh, Bel? Can you get the door? I don't think I can stand up right now…"

"Of course, bunny," she smirked, running her hand over the tip of my erection. _Cock tease! Why is no one ever around to see the shit that she pulls?_ "Hey, Emmett!" I heard her call at the doorway.

_Emmett. Ugh. My brother the cock block._

"Hey, is my brother here or did you castrate him?" he laughed, putting an arm around Bella and walking towards me. His eyes flicked to my lap, and he cringed in disgust. "Ew, Ed, put your boner away, please, and go get dressed."

I rolled my eyes. "Yeah, Emmett, it doesn't really work that way," I said, gesturing to my lap.

"Dad told me he wants to have a threesome with your girlfriend and your mother," Emmett deadpanned.

I sprang up from my seat. "Oh my God, Emmett, are you fucking serious? That is by far the grossest thing you have EVER said, and you've said a LOT of gross things," I shuddered. Emmett just laughed.

"I wasn't serious. But, hey, look at that. Your cock isn't out anymore, and you're off the couch. Mission: accomplished," he smirked.

"Jackass," I mumbled, heading back to throw my clothes on.

"Hurry up, bitches! We need to practice until our gig tonight. Remember how we took a week off of practice to visit our family? Holiday is over…come on! Time's a wasting…" Emmett continued to ramble from the living room.

Knowing Emmett, I wasn't going to get to be alone with Bella until after the gig tonight. Ugh, and after our "socializing." Another night of torture. Here I come.

BPOV

The rest of the day was absolute torture. I had the dire need to ravage my beautiful boyfriend, but it seemed like the world was conspiring against me.

All my life, I had never been a girly girl by any means, but his gift (the book of compositions ABOUT ME!) turned me into a pile of goo waiting to be taken any way, shape, form, or time. It was probably a combination of my agitation of Marcus's new rule and realizing that I wanted Edward forever that led to my dream. I still can't believe that I truly dreamed about marriage. Marriage! I was the girl who preached that I wouldn't get married until I was at least 30, yet here I was straight out of college wishing that I could be with Edward always.

To say I was turned on by the fact that Edward felt the same was an understatement. Oh, yes. I wanted to lick and touch and taste every inch of that boy's glorious body. Unfortunately, Emmett and Jasper made us practice until an hour before the gig, and then I had to scramble to get ready and make it to the bar on time.

The set was fairly uneventful, with the exception of my arousal growing exponentially every time I would glance at Edward's talented fingers strumming his guitar or accidentally make contact with some part of his body, effectively sending chills down my spine.

We had only added two new songs to the set, and both were for me. Edward said that I didn't get enough opportunities to just sing and relax, so he wanted to accompany me on a duet (you know, as practice for our future endeavors). _Swoon_. The first was Ingrid Michaelson's "The Way I Am," which honestly made Jasper cry the first time we sang it. He'll deny it with everything he has, but I saw him. I know.

_If you are chilly, here take my sweater_

_Your head is aching; I'll make it better_

_Cause I love the way you call me baby, and you take me the way I am._

Edward mouthed, "I love you," at the end of the song, and I had to use every ounce of self-control I had in me to refrain from jumping him on stage. The second song we added didn't help much either, though.

I had recently fallen in love with The Veronicas. Edward was a little hesitant seeing as they were Top 20 worthy, but let's be honest—he caved to Kelly Clarkson, so why wouldn't he cave to The Veronicas? He agreed to add "Untouched" to the set list, but as I was singing it, I couldn't help but agree with the lyrics. I wanted to be touched SO fucking badly.

_I feel so untouched, and I want you so much_

_That I just can't resist you, it's not enough to say that I miss you_

_I feel so untouched right now I need you so much_

_Somehow I can't forget you, I've gone crazy from the moment I met you_.

I wanted my boyfriend, and I wanted him NOW. Alas, I could not have him. Frown. No, now I was forced to watch him from across the room when all I wanted was to feel him pressed up against me. Instead of haphazardly throwing myself at him, I dragged myself to the bar, seriously needing a cocktail. I didn't know any of the new bartenders that well, but I figured that Felix had been the friendliest during the initial introductions (and no way in HELL was I going to talk to Lauren).

"Felix?" I called out, putting a $10 on the counter. He turned over his shoulder and nodded to me.

"Hey, Bella—you were great out there. What do you need?" he asked, yelling above the din of the crowd.

"What's the most delicious drink you can make that will get me properly drunk in less than five minutes?" I half joked, glancing at Edward who was now surrounded by a horde of desperate blondes.

_Sluts. Dirty, desperate sluts._

"So it's that kind of night?" he laughed.

"Yes, it really is." He nodded sympathetically. In a flash, Felix was pouring several different liquors into a shaker with some ice. He poured the blue concoction into a huge glass and smiled widely as he pushed it towards me.

"Dare I ask what this is?" I asked.

He threw his head back and laughed loudly. "That, my dear, is an AMF, or more popularly known as an Adios Motherfucker. Come back in 10 minutes, and I guarantee you'll be feeling a whole lot better," he winked. I smiled appreciatively as I pushed the $10 towards him, but he shook his head and scoffed loudly. "Your money is no good here." I tried to insist, but he wasn't having any of it.

"Thanks, Felix," I smiled taking a large sip of the delicious mixture. Within four sips I was already feeling significantly better. I had even been able to chat with several guys nonchalantly with ease. Halfway through my drink, conversation was flowing freely. I was arguing with some dipshit college kid about Led Zeppelin (I told him they were in my top three favorite bands, and he challenged me to name more than three of their songs…needless to say I whooped that pretentious fuck's ass), when I felt his eyes on me.

_Jesus titty fucking Christ, how does he do that?_

I almost dropped my drink when I felt his hand at the small of my back and his hot breath caressing my neck as he whispered, "Excuse me," and brushed by me. My arousal multiplied tenfold instantly. _Yeah, the booze probably didn't help that…_ My nipples hardened against my shirt, and I could feel my panties starting to get damp underneath my jeans. You would think that it had been months since he had last touched me, not barely 24 hours.

I whipped my head around to try and catch his gaze, but I could only see a flash of bronze in the distance. Drunkenly, I figured that I had socialized ENOUGH, and I needed to find Edward and get the hell out of there immediately. Luckily, I found Rosalie quickly in the crowd.

"Bella!" she said, hugging me tightly. "You were wonderful tonight," she smiled.

"Thanks, Rose. Hey, would you mind doing me a HUGE favor?" I slurred slightly.

"Bella are you drunk?" she laughed, steadying my shoulders.

"Just a little bit," I grinned, holding up my thumb and index finger to represent the amount of drunkenness.

"Okay, so what's the favor?"

"You need to get Edward for me. I'm not allowed to hang out with him at the club anymore," I pouted, "but I want to go home now."

"I can drive you home if you want?" Rosalie suggested.

"That's super sweet of you, Rose, but I don't think you can help me out with my problem once we GET home," I smirked. "Tell Edward that if he doesn't come now that I'm starting without him."

"That's my girl," she laughed. "Okay, I'll go ask him. Don't move!" she yelled over her shoulder. I watched Rosalie approach Edward wondering if she was actually going to relay the message to him. I hadn't exactly meant for the last bit to come out, but…it sounded like a pretty fair offer to me. All of a sudden Edward's eyebrows shot up as his eyes darted around the room to find me. I bit my lip as I made eye contact with Edward. He looked like he was panting slightly, and I really liked that. Unfortunately, he turned back to Rosalie with a scowl on his face. Moments later, Rosalie appeared by my side with no Edward in tow.

"What'd he say?" I pouted. Why didn't my boyfriend want to leave with me?

"He said that he promised Jasper he'd stay with him until closing. They have to pick up your paychecks, and Jasper didn't want to hang out with Marcus alone," Rosalie apologized.

"But closing isn't for another 45 minutes?" I whined. "I don't think I can wait that long…"

Rosalie laughed loudly and then leaned in to whisper in my ear, "He said to tell you that he'll be there as soon as he can, but you can feel free to start without him."

"Let's go!" I said too enthusiastically, grabbing Rosalie's hand. We met Emmett at the door, who wrapped his arm around my shoulders and laughed. I looked up at him and smiled widely. Now that my release was in the near future, I was much more relaxed. That could also be attributed to the booze, though. Who knows?

"Bella, Bella…is that an AMF I detect on your breath?" he smirked.

"How did you—"

"Your tongue is blue," Emmett cackled. "All right. Where to?" he asked as we hopped into the car.

"Your house?" He nodded and the car took off. After we arrived, I realized that neither of them was getting out of the car. "Are you leaving me here alone?" I pouted again. Apparently I did that a lot when I was drunk.

"You won't be alone for long," Rosalie smirked knowingly.

"Sorry, Bella," Emmett called out the window as I went to open the door. "I promised my lady I'd spend some time with her. Goodnight!"

I closed the front door behind me, but didn't bother to turn on the lights. I wouldn't really need them anyway. Making a beeline for Edward's room, I didn't bother to close his door all the way behind me. The door was locked, and Edward was the only one coming home tonight. Thank God. I couldn't wait.

Giggling, I reached under Edward's bed, pulling out one of my Black Friday purchases for Edward. This one, I had yet to give him, but I was positive that he was going to enjoy it as much as I was. Drunkenly, I stumbled around his room looking for scissors to break open the plastic packaging of my very new vibrator. I finally found a pair in his bathroom drawer. As I was throwing away the packaging, I spotted two vanilla scented candles that Alice had given Edward a few weeks ago.

_Perfect_.

I lit the candles and placed them on either side of his bed and quickly slipped off all of my clothes. I was so ridiculously turned on by now that I was sure I was going to come within a minute of using the vibrator, so I decided to start off slow. I turned on Edward's iHome to our "Sex Soundtrack" and let the honeyed tones of Al Green's "Here I Am Baby," before hopping onto the bed.

I placed the vibrator next to me on the bed. It could wait patiently for its turn. I, however, could not. Pulling my knees up, I widened my legs slightly and trailed my hand down my stomach. I closed my eyes, only feeling the soft glow of the candles against my eyelids. I raked my nails lightly across my chest, imaging that they were Edward's teeth. That boy sure knows how to use his mouth.

Slowly, I ran my finger down my soft folds. I shuddered, realizing that I needed to release my day's worth of tension BADLY. I inserted a second finger, spreading my wetness around my extra sensitive clit. Moaning loudly, I moved my other hand to my breast, kneading it and wishing that it were Edward's agile fingers against me instead of my own.

At the thought of Edward's agile fingers, I began circling my throbbing clit harder, while moving the two fingers inside me with more force. I came within minutes, trembling all over. As the song moved on to Muse's "Our Time Is Running" I knew that it was time to break in the vibrator.

_Yes. Edward's going to be sad he missed this one._

I jumped slightly as the vibrations started in my hand, but as I brought the vibrator to my breast, running it lightly across my nipple, I felt moisture seep down my legs. I couldn't wait. A helpless whimper escaped my lips, and I knew that I wanted it in me. I ran the vibrator down my stomach, pausing right above my clit, making it pulse with need. Torturously slow, I pushed the vibrator inside me. It sent a shockwave through my body. I hadn't used a vibrator in months, and I forgot how fucking good they feel. Not as good as Edward, but still…

I thrust the vibrator in and out with the steady beat of the song. I knew I was panting loudly, and I'm sure our neighbors could hear the loud moans ripping from my chest, but I couldn't control it. It just felt too amazing. Just then the song moved to Nine Inch Nail's "Closer." The slow thrusting continued as Trent Reznor screeched out, "I wanna fuck you like an animal," over the home speakers. Slow waves started building, and finally I couldn't go slow anymore. I moaned heedlessly as I picked up the pace with the vibrator. I started pulling it all the way out and running it over my clit before pushing it back in. I started mumbling Edward's name, imaging it was his cock inside me, pulsing, pushing, thrusting…GAH!

I climaxed with maximum force, my toes curling as I continued to push against the vibrator screaming Edward's name. As I was in the midst of coming down from my extreme high, I heard the door slam.

_Finally, my bunny's home. He missed quite the show, though. Yes he did._

Sighing contentedly, I opened my eyes calling out to Edward as I propped myself up towards the door. My eyes widened as I saw that it was the bedroom door that had slammed close and not the front door. _What's that about?_ I pulled on one of Edward's t-shirts and headed to the door to find out.

EPOV

I couldn't believe what Rosalie had told me. I wanted nothing more than to blow of my best friend and leave him stranded to go fuck the hell out of Bella. Unfortunately, Jasper was my ride and I was trying to be a good friend, so I had to wait in pain for the next 30 minutes until closing.

Yes, I was in serious pain. My erection was pressing against my jeans so uncomfortably that I had to constantly shift from foot to foot in order to keep from jacking off in the bathroom right then. Bella had threatened to start without me? Fuck, now that was something I had to see.

Luckily, Jasper and I didn't have much problems tracking down Marcus and getting the hell out of there 15 minutes before closing. I was having some serious trouble waiting.

_That's because Bella is touching herself right now, and you're not there to witness it. She's touching herself and sighing and moaning all while rolling around in your bed._

_Rub it in, why don't you?_

_That's what she said._

_Shut up!_

I managed a small smile to Marcus before Jasper and I fled. I bounced my knee up and down in the passenger seat, wishing that Jasper would drive faster.

"Edward, are you okay?" Jasper asked.

"I'm fine," I lied. "I'm just anxious to get to bed. It's been a long day."

"Yeah, I noticed. Alice didn't even stay after the gig. I'm pretty sure she just went home and to sleep. What'd you do last night to keep her up so late?"

I smirked. "Do you really want to know?"

Jasper cocked his head to the side and glanced at me sideways for a brief second before training his eyes back on the road. "Would you kill me if I said yes, please? And in graphic detail?" he laughed.

"Asshole!" I smiled, pushing his shoulder.

"What? We used to tell each other this shit all the time?"

"Yeah, well…not anymore. It's not like I'd ever ask YOU that question," I cringed.

"That's because I'm fucking your little sister, dipshit. Now, come on. Just a little bit? It's always the quiet ones that are the kinkiest in bed. Throw me a fucking bone here, dude. Alice is like the loudest person we know. Hence, I'm not having ANY kinky sex. Please…just…please?" he whined. It was a little sick, but Jasper looked so fucking pathetic. Plus, I had a really rocking sex life with one hell of a girlfriend, so I decided to let him in on a few of our trysts.

"Fine, but you can NEVER tell Bella, and we're doing this as a one time only kind of deal, okay?" Jasper nodded and placed an 'X' over his heart. I chuckled at that one.

"The morning after we first had sex, we did it in my shower…except she wanted it from behind and with her hands restrained over her head." Jasper gasped. I gave him a warning look and continued, "Well, obviously you know about the Porsche. That was pretty fucking awesome," I sighed as Jasper nodded solemnly.

"And…this is the last bone I'm throwing you…last night, the reason we kept Alice up all night MAY have been because we were playing teacher…with the appropriate, uh, punishments," I smiled in memory again. Fuck, I had made myself even harder with all the fond memories of our crazy sex life.

"Shit, man. Now I really AM jealous," he laughed.

"As you should be," I smirked. "And to think…it could have all been yours had you not been in love with Alice."

The car swerved as Jasper whipped his head to me. "What?"

"Yeah, Bella used to have a huge crush on you. Good thing you're an idiot. I reaped the benefits," I chuckled.

"Think she'd go for a threesome?" Jasper joked.

"And that's the end of THAT conversation. Oh, look, I'm home," I smiled, jumping out of the car. "Thanks for the ride, Jazz."

"Thanks for the stories, bro."

I made my way inside the dark apartment, anticipating what was to come. Oh, yes. I could hear Nine Inch Nails playing over the speaker system…and Bella's moaning over it.

_Holy fuck, she is LOUD!_

I walked slowly, making sure to keep quiet so as not to interrupt her. Yes, I was being a creepy voyeur, but it was in my own house with my own girlfriend in my own bed, so I didn't feel too weird about it. I made my way to my bedroom door, which was cracked open. And then I froze.

_Is that a buzzing noise I hear? Is that a VIBRATOR? Oh, yes. I've been a very good boy. I obviously deserve this._

_I'll say_.

I had no problem with my cock talking back to me for once because as I peered into the doorway, I could see Bella writhing on my bed under the soft glow of candles as she fucked herself…hard. Her legs were pulled up and her knees were spread wide as she moved the vibrator up to her clit and back into her wet pussy. She was mumbling my name in between her moaning, and I couldn't help but to palm myself slightly through my jeans at the sight and sounds she was providing me. My fantasies were NEVER as good as this.

I was about to pull down my zipper when I heard in my ear, "What are we looking at?" I honestly thought I was hallucinating and that my cock was actually speaking to me until I heard the voice continue, "You dirty motherfucker, is that a vibrator?"

As Bella screamed out, "Fuck! Edward, yes!" clearly climaxing, I shoved the door close and whipped around to see Jasper's guilty face.

"Dude, what the fuck are you doing here?" I whisper yelled. Seriously…was telling him about my sex life not good enough? He had to come and see it first hand?

"You, uh, forgot your wallet on the seat…I was bringing it back. Seriously, I didn't mean to—"

"Jasper you need to leave NOW," I growled. I couldn't believe that he had seen what I was just looking at. No one should be allowed to see that but me.

"Jesus, Edward, it was an accident. I'm sorry. Here's your wallet, and I'm leaving now. This stays with me, I promise," Jasper sighed. He DID look sorry, but I wasn't done being mad at him yet.

Just then, my door creaked open and Bella walked out, still flushed and sweaty only wearing one of my white t-shirts. "Edward?" she called out, grabbing my hand. I squeezed it back in comfort, letting her know it was only me and hoping that Jasper was escaping as we spoke.

Unfortunately, things never go my way. Bella flicked on the living room light, squinting slightly before releasing my hand and crossing her arms over her chest.

"Jasper?" Bella flushed.

_Fuck_.

**Chapter Notes:**

**Hehe. Uh oh. Just a little fyi, there will be NO J/E/B threesome in this story, but I might do a fun outtake with an "alternate ending" for this evening if you will, haha. Let me know if I should!**

**Also, don't forget that voting for the Indies starts tonight at 9! You guys rock :)**


	26. Chapter 26

**AN: A HUGE welcome to all my new readers! I can't even tell you how excited I am every time I receive another review and alert. You guys are pretty awesome.**

**Now, it seems that there's an overwhelming need for a J/E/B threesome outtake (fantasy outtake, of course—it could NEVER actually happen in this story). So look out for that sometime in the next week!**

**Okay, love you guys tons. Enjoy.**

BPOV

"_Jasper?"_

I would recognize that blonde hair anywhere. As I called his name, Jasper turned back towards me but kept his eyes trained on the ground.

_Oh, God. Please let the earth open up and swallow me whole right now. Isn't this apartment placed over the hell mouth?_

My entire body burst into flames as I realized what Jasper had walked in on. I wanted to ask Edward why the FUCK Jasper was there, but seeing the murderous glare he had trained on his best friend's, I knew that Jasper surely didn't have Edward's approval to be there. I don't think I had ever been this embarrassed in my entire life.

I crossed my arms over my chest and looked at Jasper, who was mumbling something or other to Edward, who had now moved directly in front of me. Oh, yes, Edward was pissed. Come to think of it, though…so was I. I stepped to the side of Edward and took a large step towards Jasper.

"What the fuck, Jasper?" I yelled. Edward turned to me, surprised, but I continued yelling. "Please tell me that you JUST got here…"

"I, uh…Edward…wallet," he mumbled, eyes still trained on the floor.

"This couldn't have waited until tomorrow morning?" I fumed, grabbing the wallet from his hand. I had skipped through embarrassment quite quickly and was now racing full speed towards rage. _How DARE he?_ "You really thought it would be appropriate to walk into our dark apartment, and what? You heard me getting off and thought you'd stick around and see how it's done?"

Jasper's eyes finally lifted up to meet mine, but I couldn't face him and turned toward Edward instead. With my obscene and accusatory comment, Edward finally lost his cool and started RAILING on Jasper. I had a sneaking suspicion that Edward was just as angry about Jasper's presence as I was embarrassed by it.

"Fuck, Jasper! I can't fucking believe you! After everything we talked about in the car, you just decided to come in after me? What kind of sick fuck are you?" Edward ranted.

"What do you mean everything you talked about in the car?" I asked, staring Edward down. I knew he could feel my eyes on him, but Edward and Jasper were locked in some sort of glaring standoff, blatantly ignoring me.

"Was it not enough for you to embarrass us in front of my entire family at Thanksgiving? Thanks to you I now have to spend the rest of my life hearing my dad's thoughts on Bella's—" He trailed off, leaving me to think about the rest of that unfinished sentence. _Dear, God. Please let that not be true_. "I…I…just go home, Jasper," Edward growled.

"Edward, you KNOW I would never do anything like you think I did. Bella," he continued, looking at me now, "I swear to God, I didn't SEE anything, and I'm so sorry for allowing you think otherwise. Edward was talking in the car about how anxious he was to get to bed, and I honestly thought that he was listening to you talk in your sleep. I was just going to throw the wallet on the counter and peace out, but he and Alice are always talking about all the adorable things you say when you sleep. When I saw Edward standing in the doorway, I swear that I just listened for like three seconds before I figured out…" Jasper blushed and looked down at the ground. His mouth opened and closed like he hand something he wanted to say, but no words came out.

I took a deep breath, steadying myself. I wanted to be relieved by his confession, but I needed extra reassurance. "Are you sure you didn't…" I began, blushing furiously again at the thought of Jasper invading my personal time like that.

"I promise you. Edward was blocking the doorway completely. I was on my way out when you turned on the lights. I'll even tell Alice what happened if it makes you feel better. I don't want this to become an issue for anyone," Jasper said, staring at Edward, who was still visibly shaking with anger.

"So, this isn't going to be weird, right?" I asked, wrapping my arms around Edward's waist.

"No. Zero weirdness," Jasper responded quickly. "I never intended to make you uncomfortable…honestly. I hope you know that."

"Okay," I breathed feeling tense again, just needing Jasper to be gone already. "I'm going to take a bath," I said, turning to look up at Edward. "When I come out, your best friend had better be gone." Edward nodded slowly. "And this remarkable lapse in judgment stays here. Seriously, if Emmett hears about this I swear to God I will end you. Either one of you," I huffed. They both nodded in acceptance as I made my way to the tub.

I grabbed the still lit vanilla candles from beside the bed, brought them into the bathroom with me, and filled the bath with hot water. I needed to calm down. After it was filled, I twisted my hair into a messy bun and pulled Edward's shirt off of my clammy body.

The water felt amazing against my skin, and I breathed a huge sigh of relief as I sank further into the steamy bath. My eyes fluttered close, and I relaxed against the back of the tub, pushing all thoughts of Jasper out of my head. Through my hazy relaxed slumber, I heard a soft rap at the door and Edward call out, "Bella? Can I come in?"

"Mmhmm," I replied lazily. I could hear the door creak open as I closed my eyes again. Edward knelt down next to the tub next to my head and sighed loudly.

"That was SO not how I planned getting rid of my erection tonight," he chuckled softly. I cracked one of my eyes open to see Edward staring at me with the guiltiest smile on his face.

"Take off your clothes and get in here, Edward," I smiled, pressing a soft kiss to his hand, which was lying on the tub ledge. I shifted slightly to help Edward pull his shirt off and then relaxed back to allow him to pull his own shoes and pants off.

Before I could even count to ten, I felt the smooth skin of Edward's naked body sliding in behind mine. His arms wrapped around my waist as I sank back into his chest, and I shivered slightly as he placed his hands on my shoulders, kneading my tense muscles with gentle pressure.

"I am so incredibly sorry, Bella. That was…well, let's just say that Jasper almost didn't make it out of here alive," he sighed, applying more pressure with his thumbs.

"After Jasper apologized, you still didn't believe him," I said. It was a statement, not a question. I could still feel the tension radiating off of Edward. "Why?"

Edward grumbled something against my neck before sighing loudly. "You're way too observant, Bel."

"What did you guys talk about in the car?" I pushed.

Edward groaned and took a deep breath. "Okay, I'm going to break the guy-code here because I already broke the boyfriend code and the best friend code and any other code that exists out there, but…can you try your very hardest not to be mad at me?" He paused, and when I made no attempt to interject, he continued cautiously. "Jasper was joking about how you and I kept Alice up last night, and I may have slipped what we were doing that caused Alice to stay awake…"

I stiffened in his arms, but I continued to listen. "Jasper and I used to talk about everything together, and so it was…natural that he was…curious as to what we've been…up to," Edward said, carefully stringing his explanation together. "He wasn't necessarily complaining about his own…um, activities, but he did comment that ours were far…livelier than his and Alice's."

"So you thought that Jasper followed you inside to see the evidence for himself? Jasper's not like that." I honestly believed that even if Jasper had heard about our sex life (which I was SO not pleased about), he still wouldn't come in and watch it for himself. That was just gross and inappropriate, and not how my relationship with Jasper was at all. Somewhere in the past three months, he had turned into another brother.

"He's not. No, he's definitely not. But I may have also let it slip that you used to have a crush on him, and I thought that maybe that's how he justified it in his head…I know how irrational that sounds, and please don't kill me."

_Well that's an interesting turn. Yay. More embarrassment._

"When I came into the bath you continued to yell at him, didn't you?" I said, relaxing into his hands again.

"Yeah. I was one step away from fucking him up. But he assured me that he really didn't see anything, and I believe him. Jasper and I don't lie to each other...Are you okay?" he asked in a pained voice.

"I'm fine," I sighed, moving his hands from my shoulder back around my waist. "I'm utterly humiliated at the situation, and if you ever talk to Jasper about our sex life again, I WILL chop off your balls. But this is helping," I warned, leaning further against his chest.

I cooed in pleasure as Edward let his mouth take over for his hands, sucking on the wet, steamy skin of my shoulder. We sat there with gentle ease for a while just reveling in the soft touch of one another without any urgency. His tongue darted out to taste my skin over and over as he continued to lap at my shoulders. As I was melting into him, I had a stray thought. "You know, this could have all been avoided if we had our own apartment where none of our friends had copies of our keys," I smiled.

_Let's see what he makes of that. Three…two…_

Edward's arms tightened around my stomach as his entire body tensed. "Did you just ask me to…do you want to…" he stuttered. "Wouldn't you get sick of me?"

"Edward, I spend every night in your bed. We spend all day together. If I were going to get sick of you, I think it would have happened already," I said, extracting myself from his arms and turning around, hugging my knees to my chest. "Do _you_ want to?" I asked nervously.

His face broke into a blinding smile as he grabbed my waist, pulling me to kneel in between his bent legs. "Really?" he asked, eyes lit up like a small child.

I pressed my lips to his forcefully before pulling back and hugging his neck tightly. Unfortunately, my grip wasn't firm enough and I slipped, almost landing straight on his cock.

_Good thing you caught yourself. That thing is IMPORTANT!_

"Jesus, Bel…if you wanted to say 'hi' to my dick, all you had to do was ask," Edward smirked.

"Such a fucking jackass. I don't know why I expect anything else, though," I laughed, playfully shoving his shoulder with little success.

"Thanks. So, should we get out? You're starting to get all pruny," he said, kissing my fingers one by one.

Soon enough, we were settled on the couch in front of the television. I rested my head in Edward's lap as he played with my hair. As anxious as I had been before to get Edward home and into bed, the mood was so far beyond gone that it was nice to just sit and relax for a while.

"So…are we really going to move in together?" Edward asked, turning on the television.

"It'd be better than paying double rent, which is essentially what I'm doing now. And I have a very strong feeling that Alice has wanted to move in with Jasper for a while. I think she just stayed around for fear that I'd think she was abandoning me. Oh, God," I groaned. "I'm never going to be able to look at Jasper ever again…"

"I'm just really glad he didn't see what I saw," Edward breathed, twirling a piece of my hair around his finger. "So, can we play with your new present another night?"

"Sure, bunny. It's as much for you as it is for me," I smiled, rolling to look up at him.

"Speaking of which…I wanted to tell you about another present for both of us."

I sat up, looking at him inquisitively. _Present for both of us? What could that possibly be?_ "I talked to my dad earlier today," he began. "And he said that he'd pay the upfront cost to record our demo."

My mouth dropped. "Edward, I can't ask your family for that—"

"I already kind of did, and they agreed that this is something they want to do. Bel, they believe in us. All we have to do is come up with a kick ass demo. Now, what do you want to watch?"

I sighed, knowing that arguing with Edward about money was about as useless as arguing with Alice about shopping. Plus, I was exhausted. "Fine," I grumbled, resting my head in his lap once again. "Just check what's on demand."

Edward scrolled through movie after movie, each one looking more unappealing than the next. He continued scrolling, but something caught my attention. I smacked his thigh and wriggled around a bit to get his attention. "Wait, go back!" He scrolled up until I saw it. "Yes. That one there." He looked at me skeptically.

"Bella, I've never even heard of this movie. Made in 1992? Were you even alive when this came out?" he joked.

"Edward, I was humiliated beyond any experience in my entire life tonight, and you promised that I could do whatever I wanted. I want to watch this," I told him sternly. "So, turn it on and prepare to witness greatness. Also, you'll get to experience the beauty that is Jack Kelly," I sighed. "He was my first crush, you know."

That got Edward to jump into action. Soon enough the opening strains of the movie came on:

"_That's my cigar! You'll steal another. Hey bummers we've got work to do!  
Since when did you become me mother? Eh, stop your bawling.  
Hey, who asked you?"_

I started giggling when Christian Bale took the screen, and Edward rolled his eyes but continued to play with my hair. "Your first crush was Christian Bale? Really?"

"He's British…and he sings. That's like doubly hot."

"He's actually Welsh, and he's not a very good singer. And why didn't you tell me this was a musical when you made me turn this on?" he complained.

"I love musicals, Edward. If I could be anything in this world, I would be a movie musical star, so stop whining. We're not having sex tonight."

"That's easy for you to say…you already got off," he huffed.

Although Edward resisted the charms of _Newsies_ for a while, after Jack sang a rousing rendition of "Santa Fe" and the newsies gathered together to sing "Seize The Day," they had stolen Edward's heart.

The next morning, I woke up on the couch, still perched on Edward's lap. He had slumped over slightly in his sleep and didn't look comfortable at all. My face was also now directly next to his morning wood.

_Good morning, Edward._

Slowly, I lifted my hand towards the elastic of his sweatpants. I had almost gotten my hand all the way into his pants when he froze and grabbed my wrist. He groaned loudly in frustration and pulled my hand away.

"Bella, did you learn nothing last night? We don't have our own place yet, and we're just in the living room."

"You guys are moving in together?" Emmett called walking down the hall into the living room.

_Well played, Cullen. You win this round. Embarrassment: Round 2, cut short. Thank you very much_.

"And why are you guys out here? Did you break the bed?" Emmett laughed. "Actually, never mind…I don't really want to know," he frowned.

"No," I yawned. "We just fell asleep watching _Newsies_, which Edward had never seen by the way."

Emmett gasped loudly, over exaggerating his shock. "Never seen _Newsies_? How can you still be my brother and not know the joys of David and Jack 'Cowboy' Kelly? _So that's what they call a family…mother, father, daughter, son…_" Emmett began to sing out.

"Ah! Yes! Emmett, why aren't we going out?" I laughed, finally getting off of Edward's lap.

"Um, because you're like my sister and that'd be gross?" he laughed, pulling eggs out of the refrigerator and placing them in front of me.

"Incest is best?" I laughed and then looked pointedly at the eggs and then back to Emmett.

"Scrambled eggs, please?" Emmett asked with the signature Cullen pout.

"Me too, Bel?," Edward shouted from the couch as his phone started ringing.

"Who's calling you before noon, Edward?" I asked, peering over my shoulder.

"Ah, shit," he mumbled, picking up his phone. "Hey, Dad…" he began, holding up a finger and pointing it towards his room. I nodded, and he walked into his bedroom, shutting the door behind him.

_Weird_.

"What's that all about?" I asked Emmett.

"No clue, but it's probably important if my dad took the time to call Edward. They don't really talk on a regular basis, plus we just saw him for like four days."

Well, my curiosity was certainly piqued. What would Edward have to talk to his dad about that he would keep from having the conversation in front of both Emmett and me?

EPOV

"Hey, Dad," I sighed, taking the phone call into my bedroom. There was no way I was going to have this conversation in front of Emmett and Bella…especially since Bella and I had just agreed to move in together. I had no intention of freaking her out. Honestly, curiosity was the thing mostly plaguing my mind.

"Edward, sorry about yesterday—I really was having a busy day, and your question caught me off guard. I mean, you went straight from asking about future career stuff to marriage. Just, why would you want to know when I proposed to your mother unless…Like I said, Emmett hasn't even asked me about this so, uh, can I ask where it came from?" my dad rambled nervously. We had that trait in common. Nerves = rambling.

I didn't know how to respond. Had Emmett really never asked my dad about marriage? They were way closer than we were and Emmett and Rosalie had been together for nearly a year. I guess I just figured that it had already been discussed.

"Sorry, uh…I didn't mean to blind side you or anything, I just…I was curious," I responded. That was an okay answer, right?

"Holy fuck. You're going to propose to Bella."

"What? No…well, not yet at least. Can you just answer the damn question, Dad? How old were you when you proposed?"

"Patience never _was_ one of your virtues, Edward," he laughed. "I was 22 when I proposed to your mother," he sighed.

"Really?" My dad was a year younger than me when he proposed to my mother. How did I not know this?

"I can't believe we've never told you kids this story. You'll be making fun of me for the rest of my life, I'm sure," he laughed. "Okay, well—your mother and I both went to University of Chicago, but I was a senior when she was a freshman…" he trailed off thinking of his college days, I'm sure. "Anyway, now please don't laugh, but I was the teaching assistant in her Biology seminar—"

"You were her TEACHER?" I gasped, thinking of yesterday evening's activities. "How did I not know this?"

"Her teaching assistant…it's not the same thing—" he clarified.

"Um, whatever you say, Mr. Cullen," I laughed, bringing my voice down in mock seduction. _Like father like son._

"Edward!" he scolded. "Do you want to hear the story? You can have the rest of my life to mock me for this."

"Sure, sure—continue, please."

"So, I was the teaching assistant in her biology class, and when I saw her that first day of class, I just knew. She was gorgeous and, as I found out grading her papers, incredibly smart. Long story short, I asked her out on the down low, but she refused to go out with me while I was her teacher. She was very diplomatic about the whole thing, until the day she turned in her final exam…After that we were inseparable, but she was 18 and I was going to med school."

"That must have been tough…"

"I didn't think it was going to be—I mean, I was going to the University of Chicago's med school, not even fifteen minutes away. So, I proposed on the day of my college graduation, and she said yes. But, your mother being your mother insisted that SHE graduate from college before we actually get married. She didn't want to be married in college, apparently. So, we had a four-year engagement and got married not even a week after her college graduation."

"That's a fucking long engagement."

"It was, and it was pretty miserable for me. Her junior year she FINALLY let me put a ring on her finger. It took some coaxing, though," he laughed. I didn't want to know what the coaxing entailed. Shudder. "So, Edward. Response?"

"If I'm honest will you not freak out?" He mumbled his agreement. "I knew from the second I saw Bella that she was it. I was done with the random girls, everything…I could only see her. And if we do this and get signed by a label, I'd like to propose to her with my half of our first paycheck." The line was silent. I had rendered my inappropriate, gregarious father completely silent.

"Well," he began slowly, "if you're going to settle down this early in life, Bella's not a bad way to go. That girl definitely has a nice pair on her." _Thank you, ladies and gentlemen, he's back_.

"Yeah, um, if we could never talk about that again, I'd really appreciate that, Dad," I replied grimly.

"Enough said. Okay, I'm wiring through the money right now so you can get recording and get me that super hot daughter in law," he laughed. I groaned loudly.

"Dad, stop, please—"

"I know, I know," he joked, "I'm sorry, but it's the last time…I promise. "

"Okay, Dad. Thanks. I've got to go. Bella's literally outside the door."

"Later, Edward."

I hung up the phone feeling way better about my future path. I could do this. I had my family's support, and through it all…I had Bella. Now we just had to GET there. I walked back out to the kitchen where my breakfast was waiting for me.

God, I love my girlfriend.

I smiled and kissed her temple before sitting down next to her.

"So, what was that all about?" she asked curiously. …I should have known…

"Nothing, really. He just wanted to tell me that he'd wired through the money for us, so we should get to picking our songs and start rehearsing," I smiled.

"You are lying through your teeth, bunny," she smirked. She was too smart for her own good. "But, I'll let it slide for now since we actually DO need to pick out songs to record. How do we do this exactly?"

"Well, we record a five song demo. They have a producer at the studio who helps us record, mix, and master it. And, I was thinking that the demo should probably showcase everything we can do. Maybe two of my songs with me accompanying and you singing. And then one with us both singing and playing. And then one cover?"

"Oo, you should do one of the Kate Voegele songs as your cover, Bella," Emmett added. "That way you could play and sing. Plus, you love those songs."

"Sounds good," Bella said, looking thoughtful. "I haven't had the opportunity to play 'Devil In Me' yet for an audience. And it's my favorite song to sing."

We spent the rest of the day pouring through my composition notebook, picking out the four original songs we wanted to record. It was definitely a struggle to pick out four. Bella and I each picked out our top ten, and from there we cut it down to our top five. Then, we combined our top five.

We were currently stuck on our top eight songs, and the list wasn't getting any shorter.

"Bella, just eliminate two more songs, please," I begged.

"Stop pressuring me, Edward! This is hard…and I'm indecisive. You know this," she said, examining our list again.

"This is hurting my head. And we have to get to The Mansion soon. I can't believe we have another gig tonight," I groaned. I really didn't want to perform tonight.

Bella's face dropped, as if she, too, forgot that we had another job besides being awesome and focusing on our recording careers. "Oh my God, Edward! I can't believe you didn't warn me like an hour ago. I look like crap! "

I snorted loudly. "You look hot, as always, Bel. Just wear your jeans and a t-shirt. No one will care. Plus, I don't want you looking too hot for your 'socializing' anyway," I huffed. Another night of staring at Bella from across the room. Oh, goody.

"It's no better for me, Edward. Plus…oh, God. I have to see Jasper. I don't think I can go. Seriously—I thought I'd be okay with it, knowing that he didn't actually see anything, but…he knows what I was doing. And he heard! And he probably told Alice. What am I going to do?" Bella started, working herself up into a fluster.

I put a hand on each of her shoulders and pressed a soft kiss to her lips. She smiled against them and sighed as I pulled on her bottom lip slightly. She went to wrap her hands in my hair, but I stopped her. As much as I wanted to continue, I knew she'd kill me if she didn't get ready in time for our set.

"Later, Bella. I promise. It'll be fine. Jasper is probably more embarrassed about everything than you are, plus he got a verbal lashing from his best friend, and if he told Alice…then probably one from her, too. And if you behave, I'll even sing 'Bubble Toes' for you tonight," I laughed as her face broke out into a huge grin. It was Bella's happy song. She always said that she was convinced Jack Johnson wrote the song about us.

_I remember when you and me, mmm how we used to be  
Just good friends—wouldn't give me none, but all I wanted was some_

Not the greatest love song of all time, but, hey…it fit us quite nicely. Pondering that, I stepped into my room and threw on a clean pair of jeans and a t-shirt (man, I love being a guy), while Bella got herself ready.

I stepped into the bathroom while she was finishing up her makeup to brush my teeth. Picking up the toothbrush, I began to laugh at the complete domesticity of the scene. Who would have thought that Edward Cullen was capable of this? I certainly didn't. And I sure as hell didn't foresee being as happy as I was right at that moment.

"What are you laughing at?" Bella asked self-consciously.

"Nothing," I laughed. She gave me a look, and I knew that that explanation wasn't going to cut it. "It's just…look at us. We're such a _couple_."

She nudged me with her hip and scowled. "Edward, I'm stressed enough about facing Jasper and Lauren and looking like shit tonight and cutting down our song list for our demo…I don't need you making fun of me on top of it."

"What can I do to make up for it?" I smirked, picking her up by the waist and placing her on the counter. She squealed and blushed, dipping her chin to her chest slightly. "I think I can count the ways," I continued, placing myself in between her legs and pulling her into my arms.

"Really? I can't think of anything…" she teased, finally lifting those huge brown eyes and biting her lip. Gah. She knew what biting the lip did to me! I was suddenly conscious of being VERY aroused with very little time to do anything about it. I decided I needed to act quickly.

I allowed my hands to wander up the back of her shirt, reveling in the goose bumps that broke out all over her body and leaned in to kiss behind her ear. "This is one way," I whispered against her skin. She shivered slightly as I opened my mouth to deepen the kiss and moved it slightly down her neck. She moaned loudly, leaning her head to allow more room for me.

_Ah, yes. I found the magic spot. Ten more seconds and panties will be dropping._

_Fuck, yeah!_

Bella moved her hand to keep my head in place as I continued my ministrations on her neck, nipping lightly in between my heavier kisses. "Edward…we don't have time for this," she whined.

I lifted her legs to wrap around my waist and placed myself more firmly in the 'magic spot.' "Yes, we do," I grunted against her neck.

_Just give it three more seconds and—_

"Hey, guys are you ready to…shit! Sorry," Emmett mumbled, running back out to the living room. "I'm ready to go whenever you are!" he called.

_Seriously? Again, Emmett? My balls are really starting to hurt here. Throw me a fucking bone!_

_Yeah, get used to it. Only another four hours until you can relieve your pain, buddy_.

Bella laughed as I raised my head, most likely wearing a huge pout on my face. "And this is why I can't wait until we get our own place," she laughed. "We're giving NO ONE the keys. Really. No one."

"Yes ma'am," I smiled, lifting her back off the counter and onto the floor.

The gig went smoothly, except I could tell that with each song, Bella was getting more and more anxious. Although we'd somewhat hashed it out, I knew she was feeling incredibly self-conscious about the whole situation with Jasper. We had arrived to the bar so close to our set time, she hadn't really had the opportunity to talk to him yet, and I think the prolonged waiting was just making it worse. I really needed to tell Jasper to crack a joke about it or something…anything to get Bella to lighten up.

I squeezed her hand as I caught a glimpse of Jasper hanging out backstage.

"Hey, I'll be right back, okay? Want to grab a drink?" I whispered. She nodded, looking somewhat in a daze and wandered off to the bar.

Finally approaching Jasper, I realized that he now had his tongue shoved down my sister's throat. _Gross_. I cleared my throat loudly, and Jasper laughed as he pulled away from Alice.

"Hey, J, can I talk to you for a minute?"

"Don't yell at him again, Edward," Alice warned.

"You told Alice?" I asked incredulously.

"Yeah…I told Bella I would. Plus, it REALLY wasn't a big deal. Alice thought it was hilarious."

"Well, apparently Bella thinks differently. I think she's panicking about seeing you again. She's really freaked out by it, so…if you could just crack a joke or something…I think it might help."

Jasper nodded thoughtfully as Alice wrapped her arms around his waist again. "Of course, dude. It was my fuck up. I'm all over it."

"I still can't believe what a dumbass you are, Jasper," Alice laughed. "You seriously followed Edward into his apartment at night with the lights off after he and Bella weren't allowed to touch each other in public for four hours? In what world was that even remotely a good choice?" Alice's eyes got really wide and then she smiled coolly. "Oh, hey Bella…"

I turned around to see Bella looking like a deer in headlights with a beer in her hand. I think she was probably psyching herself up to see Jasper, but Jasper and Alice together…she was not prepared. I pulled her waist towards mine and wrapped her in a tight embrace. She relaxed slightly giving a small wave to Jasper and Alice.

Just then, Alice and Jasper had some sort of small, secret conversation, and like some REALLY cheesy 80s movie, Jasper burst into spontaneous song. "_Edward is a friend. Yeah, I know he's been a good friend of mine. But lately something's changed and it ain't hard to define. Edward's got himself a girl, and I wanna make her mine._"

Cue Alice: "_Cause she's watching him with those eyes…and she's loving him with that body, I just know it. And he's holding her in his arms late, late at night…you know I wish that I had…_"

Together now: "_Edward's girl..du nu nu nu nu…Edward's girl…_"

I thought Bella was going to blush up a storm or laugh or SOMETHING…because, frankly, the whole display was pretty embarrassing. But, no. Bella surprised me, per usual. She stepped out of my arms and punched Jasper in the arm. Hard.

"Ow!" Jasper cried, holding his arm.

_Oo, yeah. I've been there, buddy. She's got quite the arm on her. She may be little, but she's mighty_.

"You're a complete dick! I can't believe you're making a joke about this," she laughed, finally cracking a smile.

"So, I guess that's a 'no' to the threesome, then?" Jasper smiled back.

"Unless it's with me and Jasper," Alice added. "Because I think I'd be okay with that."

"Alice..." Bella warned, breaking into giggles. _Ah, finally. The tension is broken. Thank the lord._

Unfortunately, I spoke too soon. I heard another throat clearing behind me. I turned around to reveal a very pissed off looking Lauren.

"Hey, everyone. Marcus sent me back here to make sure that you go out and mingle with the audience now," Lauren spoke in her sickeningly sweet voice. Did she always sound so patronizing? Or did I just never actually listen to her speak before? Either way…I was ashamed that I'd ever been with her.

Choosing to ignore Lauren, I wrapped Bella in my arms again and kissed her forehead lightly. "I'm not ready to go out there without you again," Bella whined.

"I know," I sighed. "Me neither, but…I promise I'll make it all better when we get home." Her eyes fluttered closed as I brought my lips back to the magic spot of skin on her neck. Her hands automatically went to the back of my head, pulling me closer. I chuckled and began to suck on the skin a bit harder, making her whimper slightly.

"Oh for fuck's sake, Edward. Why don't you just pee on her and be done with it?" Lauren huffed from behind us.

_Oops_. I had forgotten she was still there.

"He would," Bella interjected, completely surprising me. "But only whores like you are actually into that," she snapped. I was mid laugh when Bella pulled my mouth to hers hastily, deepening our kiss in seconds. I couldn't help but moan loudly as she sucked my tongue into her mouth. She pulled back, looking completely flushed. I had never been prouder of her.

"Jealousy looks good on you," I laughed. "I love you so much, Bella Swan."

"Love you, too, bunny," she smirked, gliding past Lauren, who stood there dumbly with her mouth gaping open.

_Ah, yes. Typical Lauren. Always with her mouth open_.

"Enjoy your evening, Lauren," I called out to her, feeling on top of the world. And although I spent the rest of the night in constant angst, watching Bella smile and flirt with desperate college boys, I couldn't help but smile every time we'd catch one another's eyes.

Finally, the bar was almost emptied out completely. Bella sat at the bar chatting with one of the bartenders…Felix, I think his name was. I remember her mentioning that she thought he was nice, and after seeing the natural smile that graced her face as she talked to him, I wasn't sure how I felt about that comment. That was definitely an interesting new friendship that I was going to keep my eyes on. Felix reminded me of Jake for some reason.

_Let's not freak out prematurely, Cullen. So, he's tall with short black hair. That doesn't mean that Bella's going to wise up and leave you for a Jake look-a-like._

_Uh, was that supposed to be comforting? Because if so…you suck at life._

_Thanks. I do what I can_.

Just then, the same annoying throat clearing interrupted my inner diatribe. "Seeing the other side, Edward?" Lauren cooed.

"What?" I stuttered, turning away from staring at Felix and Bella. "No. Just staring at my beautiful girlfriend." Lauren's face faltered, but she didn't move away. "Did you need something, Lauren?

"Marcus asked to see you and Bella in his office," she smirked.

_Of course he does. This day was getting too good to have it not be ruined by something, right?_

I approached the bar only to hear Bella laughing at something that Felix had said. She grabbed his hand while chuckling, "Oh my God, Felix. That's absolutely hilarious!"

"What's so funny?" I asked, abruptly announcing my presence. My eyes darted to Bella's hand, which was still placed on top of Felix's. Bella, mid-laugh, didn't notice, but Felix sure as hell did. He removed his hand nonchalantly as Bella looked up at me, still chuckling, "Nothing, nothing. So are we ready to head out of here?"

"I wish," I grumbled. "Unfortunately, it seems that Marcus has requested our presence in his office."

"Did he say what he wanted?" she asked curiously.

"No. Plus, he sent Lauren as his messenger," I shuddered.

"Come on, bunny," she said cheerfully hopping off of the barstool. "Night, Felix!" she called.

"Later, Bells," he waved.

_Ouch. Bells. That one REALLY hurts my stomach. _

_Stop freaking out, Cullen. Stop it. She's friends with him. You have no reason to be jealous. She chose you over Jake, and I'm sure she doesn't even see Felix like that. It's a coincidence that he used the same nick-name as Jake. There are only so many nick-names for Bella you can come up with. You're reading too much into this._

Of course, Bella noticed my sudden distress. "Are you okay, Edward?" she asked, squeezing my waist.

"Yeah," I said, brushing her off. No need to make a big deal out of nothing. Stupid insecurities. "Let's get this over with."

Stepping into Marcus's office, I recognized another man standing next to him, and my mouth dropped in shock. This meeting wasn't going to be what I thought at all.

**Chapter End Notes:**

**Sorry for the second cliffie! But…it was definitely the most logical place to stop it...I'm sorry, though. Make sure to leave some love :)**


	27. Chapter 27

**AN: Sorry this took so long to get up – I was waiting for twilighted to validate, but it's taking longer than I thought it would…so, I'm posting here first. Yay!**

**Sorry about the cliffie – hope this makes up for it :)**

**Love you guys – thanks for all the amazing reviews. You keep me motivated. Also, thanks to everyone who checked out the Chapter 25 outtake – you made me laugh with your love of the J/E/B triangle.**

EPOV

_Holy shit. Be calm. Be cool, Cullen._

_Oh, who the fuck are you trying to kid? You can't stop grinning like a fool._

_Shhh!_

I tried to listen to what was going on in the room in front of me, but my mind had reverted into a 13-year-old fan boy. As far as I could tell, Marcus was making introductions.

_Pshah. Like I need to be introduced._

_Hell…I'm actually going to be introduced! Pay attention!_

"And finally, Edward this is…" Marcus gestured pointing to the man next to him.

"Jonathan Poneman," I interjected, "I know who you are…you're kind of my idol," I gushed.

_Oh my God. Did I just tell Jon Poneman that he's my idol? Tell me that didn't just happen…_

He laughed heartily before shaking my hand firmly. "I'm going to be honest with you—I've never met a fan before, Edward, was it?"

"Uh…yeah…well…" I stuttered. _Smooth, Cullen. He now thinks you're an idiot._

"Edward?" Bella smirked haughtily.

"Sorry," I laughed uncomfortably, trying to regain some cool points. "I've been following your career for as long as I can remember. I grew up in the mid-west…Chicago, actually, and my father is a prestigious doctor with his own practice, so when I decided to come to Seattle and become a part of the music scene, he wasn't particularly thrilled. When I found out that our backgrounds were so similar…I guess I just always looked up to you as someone who I'd want to be," I rambled. "Plus, you started my absolute favorite indie label."

_And there go the cool points. Dork_.

Bella smiled widely and grabbed my hand before looking back at Jon. "You're from a label?" she grinned.

"Bella, are you kidding? This man discovered Nirvana and Soundgarden and Hot Hot Heat and he still represents The Shins, Iron & Wine, and The Postal Service…"

"Wow—Edward, was it? You're like a walking advertisement for Sub Pop records. I'm impressed," Jon laughed.

_He said my name! Eee!_

_*Shakes head in shame*_

"Sorry," I laughed nervously. "I…this is just…wow."

"So, let me just cut to the chase, shall I?" Jon continued. "Your band has QUITE the following, Edward. It was brought t my attention about a year or two ago, but revolving door of singers left your band without a distinct direction. However," he paused, looking at Bella. "this lovely lady has changed all of that. Bella, are you aware that there is a fan site dedicated to you?"

"Wh…what?" Bella gasped.

_How have I not seen this???_

"Yeah, I didn't take it seriously either when my assistant told me about it. Apparently one of his interns is a huge fan of you guys and a bunch of his friends from UW started this site completely dedicated to your performances. It's pretty thorough," Jon smiled. "Anyway, so I was talking to your manager—"

"Manager? But we don't…" Bella asked.

"Uh, yes, well—" Marcus attempted to jump in.

_Uh…NO FUCKING WAY_.

"We don't currently have representation," I interjected calmly.

"Oh? Really?" Jon asked, surprised. Marcus crossed his arms angrily and narrowed his eyes at me. "Well, I basically just wanted to have a chance to really sit down with Bella in the near future and hammer something out. Sub Pop would really love to at least record a demo with you, but clearly we need your band's permission to steal you away," he laughed, winking at me. "Here's my card," he said, passing the card to Bella, who stared at it in shock. "I'll look forward to hearing from you."

And just like that, he was gone. My heart was still pounding and my mouth was still hanging open when Marcus snapped. "You play at MY bar, Edward. If you don't include me in on a cut of your profits, you are sorely mistaken. I won't allow—"

Bella scowled and grabbed my hand again. "Then consider this our 30 day notice. After New Years, we will not be performing at this bar anymore, Marcus. And then you can rip up our monthly contract," she huffed, pulling me out of the room.

Once we were in the car, I stared at Bella in shock. She was still grasping the card with a shaking hand.

"Edward, did that really just happen?"

"You mean…did I just verbally vomit and become a fan boy in front of my musical idol? Then…yes."

"Edward," she said seriously. "We were just discovered. You know that one stroke of luck everyone famous talks about? That just happened to us!" she squealed.

"Actually, I think it just happened to you, Bel," I smirked. "I don't think he was too interested in me."

"What? No—Edward, we're doing this together. If they want me to record, they're going to have to let you record, too. Plus, I only want to sing your songs, so they'll HAVE to be interested in you," she said adamantly.

_God, she's too cute._

"So, if they're going to put together a demo for us, we don't need your dad's money anymore. Tell him thank you from me, but we can return it now," Bella tried to argue.

"Sorry, Bel. We kind of do need that money still. We're just going to have to use it on a security deposit and first month's rent for our new apartment," I smiled, brushing my thumb against the back of her hand, which was still shaking slightly. "Speaking of which, we should start looking for a new place this week."

She gulped nervously and twirled a piece of her hair around her finger. "This is really happening, right? I'm not just having some really awesome dream, right, Edward?"

"No, this is definitely real," I smiled, pulling Bella in for a soft kiss. "I love you so much," I sighed against her lips. "You have no idea."

"I think I do," she smiled, "and so does Lauren now," she giggled.

"Oh my God, I completely forgot about that," I rolled my eyes at her. "Although any form of jealousy when it comes to Lauren is COMPLETELY unwarranted, it was pretty fucking hot watching you tell her off. Speaking of hot, can we go home and check out your website?" I laughed.

She rolled her eyes at me, but her bouncing knee gave away her nervous excitement. By the time we got home and I pulled my computer up, she was a jittery mess.

"Bella, Bella, Bella," I chanted as I typed in "Bella Swan The Feedback" into Google. Sure enough, .com came up first.

_Amateurs. Who came up with THAT brilliant web domain?_

I opened up the page and just started hysterically laughing. Every moment of Bella's life from the past three months had been catalogued by a bunch of overzealous fraternity boys. There were clips of her performing from several gigs, including 80s night. I got a little too excited watching THAT video.

"Oh my God, Edward," she groaned. "Put it away…this is so embarrassing…"

"What's embarrassing?" Emmett called from behind us. Bella nearly jumped off the couch in surprise before slamming my laptop shut.

"Nothing," she grumbled.

"Ahh, did you two just discover Rosalie's favorite website?" Emmett laughed.

_Come again, now?_

Bella quirked her eyebrow at Emmett before slowly raising the screen back up. Emmett started laughing loudly and clapped a large hand on one of Bella's shoulders. "Yup, you did. I'm surprised that she didn't tell you guys about it. It's saved as one of her favorites. I found it one day on her computer when I was searching for porn, but this was SO much better. It's hilarious, isn't it?" Emmett continued to laugh.

"Hilarious is not the word that's coming to mind right now…" I drifted off, scrolling through the close up photos of Bella from 80s night.

_That was a great outfit. Look at those boobs. Sigh._

"Ew, Edward," Emmett huffed, punching me in the arm.

"Whatever. My girlfriend is fucking hot. Ah, fond memories. Remember, Bel? This was the first night we f—" I cut off as Bella started blushing furiously beside me, causing my hard on to return in full force. It was then that my cock remembered that it hadn't been inside of Bella in nearly three days.

"Moving on…why did you two get called into Marcus's office? Are you in trouble?" Emmett sang out in a mocking voice.

"Um, not quite," I smirked. "Bella just got offered to record a demo with Sub Pop Records tonight by JON PONEMAN!" I grinned. Emmett's mouth dropped as he pulled Bella into a huge hug.

"Shit! Are you fucking serious? You met with Edward's god? What was it like? Did Edward do anything really embarrassing? I mean, the fact that I even know who Jon Poneman is is testament to Edward's obsession with him. And, fuck! That is so awesome! Congratulations!" Emmett babbled, still gripping Bella tightly.

"He didn't do anything embarrassing," Bella laughed. "He was absolutely adorable. And thank you. Also...um…I may have quit for us all tonight, so we don't need to play at The Mansion past New Years," Bella paused taking in Emmett's shocked expression. "Yay?"

"Um, yeah…Marcus is a creep, and I'm pretty tired of playing back up to your pretty ass," Emmett laughed. "So, no playing after New Years, huh? I'm going to have to get Dad to support me for three months then…yay!" he jokingly cheered, punching one fist up into air. "So, now that you're feeling all empowered and quit our job and got offered a recording deal…what now?" Emmett asked.

My eyes kept jumping back from Bella bouncing on the couch to the pictures of Bella on my computer, and I just couldn't take it anymore. The built up excitement was ready to fucking burst.

"Celebratory sex?" I suggested, quirking my eyebrow up at Bella and pulling her out of Emmett's grasp.

"Ugh, Edward. I don't want to hear that," Emmett whined.

Without thinking about it, I scooped Bella up in my arms and walked us to my room.

"Well, then you might want to vacate the apartment," I joked, shutting my door behind us. I could hear a loud, "Gross," from Emmett over Bella's quiet giggling. I leaned down and kissed her forehead and then her nose as her eyes fluttered close.

She sighed quietly before pulling herself up to my mouth, wrapping her hands more firmly around my neck. She pulled away and opened her eyes, peering into mine with such intensity that I almost dropped her.

"Absolutely," she agreed as I placed her down on the bed.

"Oh, wait! I actually have a playlist for the occasion," I laughed, remembering that I had a playlist filled with songs from artists on the Sub Pop label. I clicked it on and the soft strains of "New Slang " by the Shins came on.

I pulled Bella to the edge of the bed, standing in between her legs and smiled down on her. My gorgeous, talented, and now successful girlfriend. I never thought I could be this lucky. Or this devoted.

_For real, though…when did I ACTUALLY turn into a girl?_

_Um, I hate to break it to you, but it's been a while._

"I still can't believe that I have a website," she said, shaking her head.

"Ha! I can, and I'm super excited about it. Now, whenever we have to be apart, at least I'll have some really good jerk off material," I grinned. She looked up at me in disgust.

"Ew, Edward, seriously?"

"It's not my fault that my girlfriend is ridiculously good looking," I said in my Zoolander voice. She threw her head back and laughed heartily.

"Well, what about me? It's not fair that you have a website to get off to when I don't," she huffed. "What happened to gender equality?" she laughed as I started pulling off her top slowly.

"I'll make you any kind of video you want," I smiled, throwing her shirt to the floor and kissing her bare shoulder reverently.

"Really?" she smiled, tugging on my belt loops, encouraging me into a kneeling position between her legs as she still sat perched on the edge of the bed.

I gave Bella her favorite half smile and nodded before she pulled my own shirt over my head and threw it next to hers. My cock hardened exponentially as she ran her soft hands up my chest and over my shoulders to rest between my shoulder blades, leaving her nails to scratch lightly in small scattered circles. I shivered at the intimacy of this moment.

I had never doubted my love for Bella, but it was in that moment, that a new form of emotion bubbled over. I was in love. I was happy. I was comfortable. I had direction. I had goals. I was dedicated. I became elated at the simplest touch or look from Bella. In other words, she officially 200% completely owned me. Attempting to regain SOME of my man-points, I reached out to unhook her bra and slid it down her arms before leaning in to capture one of her breasts in my mouth.

Reveling in the touch, Bella ran her hands through my hair, making me moan in pleasure around her sensitive skin. "Fuck, Edward…" she groaned.

_Score. Cullen's FINALLY going to get some_.

I sucked harder while pulling her jeans off. She raised her hips to help me shimmy them off. I kissed down her thigh, pulling her panties off of her, too.

"Edward, you're going too slow. I need you NOW," she whimpered.

I looked up into her earnest eyes and knew that any resistance was futile. Just as Nirvana's "Come As You Are" started playing over the speakers, I quickly pulled off my pants and boxers and climbed on top of Bella, pushing her against my headboard.

Suddenly, her hand was stroking my cock, and I was in serious danger of blowing my load all over her hand. "Hurry?" she pleaded, squeezing me harder.

"Shit, Bella—hold up…give me a second!" I stuttered, grabbing a condom from my bedside table.

Without wasting any more time, I rolled it on quickly and plunged myself inside Bella's hot, waiting core.

"Yes," we both moaned simultaneously. Unable to wait any longer, I pounded into her with the sultry beat of the song. I was thrusting so hard that the headboard of my bed was actually rocking against the wall, making loud clunking noises with each plunge.

"More, Edward, faster," she whined, spreading her legs even wider for me. I grabbed one of her knees and pushed it to the mattress, opening her up further to me, hitting new depths I didn't even know was possible.

Our skin slid together in a mass of sweaty surfaces with our hands clawing at it to maintain contact. Bella threw her head back and dug her nails into my back as I growled slightly, breaking our intense eye contact.

I didn't even recognize some of the noises coming out of my mouth. I sure as hell couldn't control them. As I continued to pound harder and harder, Bella had to grab onto my headboard to brace herself to prevent slamming her head against it.

_Fuck, even when it was rough it was NEVER this hard._

_Seriously, it's only been two days without sex. How are we THIS needy?_

_Don't complain, buddy. You're about 10 seconds away from coming_.

Bella's climax pulled me out of my inner diatribe, screaming "Edward!" at maximum volume as she clenched and shuddered around me. I came literally seconds after, thrusting until I was completely spent.

Just as I was finishing, decreasing the force of my thrusts, I heard two distinct loud thumps on the side of my wall. Realizing what it was, I rolled over laughing and screamed out a "Sorry, Emmett," before sitting up and grinning at Bella.

She blushed a brilliant shade of red before rolling on top of me and smirking. "Oops."

***

We spent the entire next morning looking at apartment listings all over Seattle. Emmett had avoided eye contact with Bella during breakfast before telling me that we _absolutely_ needed our own place because if he ever had to listen to us knocking against his bedroom wall, he would literally claw his ears out.

By noon we were fucking exhausted. We had seen about 10 apartments, none of which suited our needs. The ones that were within our price range were in shady neighborhoods or didn't come with refrigerators or had no parking…I was pretty fucking spent and Bella was getting REALLY cranky.

"Ugh, more stairs? Really, Edward? I'm not going up there," she whined, looking at the two story walk up.

"Bella, this one looks promising. This is a really nice neighborhood; it's not too far from Emmett and Jasper, plus it has covered parking, and brand new appliances. If I carried you up the stairs, do you think you could make it? " I smiled at Bella.

"Fine," she grumbled, jumping up onto my back. I turned my head to kiss her cheek while she continued to mock-pout. We finally got to the top of the stairs where the door suddenly swung open revealing a homely woman, smiling broadly at us.

"Well aren't you two just the sweetest?" she sang out in a Southern drawl as I lowered Bella to the ground. "My name's Bree. You must be Edward," she smiled at me.

"Yeah, uh, thanks for seeing us on such short notice," I said, shaking her hand firmly.

"Oh, honey, don't even worry about it. I had renters for this place—such a nice pair of girls, but one of them transferred to Stanford and the other one couldn't afford it by herself. But now just listen to me rambling. What I mean to say is that it's no problem," she said in one continuous breath. She paused and looked behind me with curiosity. "And who is THIS ray of sunshine," she said, peering at Bella.

"Hi, I'm Bella," she smiled, offering her hand out to Bree, who simply pushed it aside and wrapped Bella into a tight embrace.

"Bella, Bella, Bella—what a fitting name. She's quite a beauty, isn't she?" she asked me.

"She certainly is," I laughed, grasping Bella's hand and pulling her back to my side before kissing the top of her head.

Bree stood there smiling at us for a minute before stepping into the apartment and gesturing us inside. And, oh my God…we found our home. The apartment was gorgeous. It had a huge bay window in the living room, which overlooked a beautiful courtyard. Bella's entire face lit up, holding my hand tightly as she walked around, and I knew that we were going to take the place.

"Edward, say something," she whispered. "I love her. I love this apartment."

_Enough said._

As Bree continued to show us the finer aspects of the apartment (the brand new Frigidaire refrigerator, the marble countertops, the brand new carpeting and cable wiring, and last but definitely not least…the new Jacuzzi –which I was sure was going to be getting TONS of use in the near future), I interrupted her with a large smile and cleared my throat.

"Bree, this sounds absolutely fantastic. We'd love to rent if you'd be okay with that," I said in my most professional voice.

"Oh, that's marvelous!" she smiled, clapping her hands together in a ridiculous gesture of glee. "Would you be able to sign the lease today? Or would you want to wait until the 15th?"

"Let's wait until the fifteenth, right, Bel? It's only two weeks away," I suggested, looking at Bella.

"That sounds great," she grinned.

After solidifying our living arrangement plans, Bella took out Jonathan's card and set up a meeting with him for the following day. His assistant was VERY excited to be talking to "The Bella Swan," and I had to laugh at that one. My girlfriend was already a celebrity in her own right. How did we not know? She also already had some pull because she requested that I be present at her meeting, which of COURSE they complied with.

_My girlfriend, the manipulator. Making me famous one favor at a time_.

We were so excited to share our news with our friends, we decided to invite everyone out to dinner. It had been too long since we went out at somewhere that wasn't the bar; it was pretty exciting to have the prospect of going somewhere new. Bella and I were so exhausted from our morning of apartment hunting, though, that we spent most of the afternoon napping.

For dinner, we tried out a new restaurant/bar/lounge thing. Alice and Rosalie had heard it got rave reviews, and I was pretty much content doing whatever Bella wanted so…

_Do I have to say it again? …owned_.

"Bella, I heard you quit for us last night?" Jasper inquired as Bella choked slightly on her cocktail.

"Um, I'm sorry, but Marcus was being a complete asshole and really rude to Edward and we're just better than that…" she rambled as Alice's face lit up with excitement.

"It's actually perfect, Bella, although Jasper would never admit it," Alice giggled, putting a hand to Jasper's blushing cheek. "He's been wanting to look for a 'real job' for a while now. But, anyway, if you guys quit…what are you planning to do post New Years?"

Bella flushed red, per usual, and I grabbed her hand under the table, rubbing small circles into the back of her hand. She placed our hands on my thigh and squeezed it lightly, indicating that she wanted ME to tell them what happened.

"Well, Bella may have gotten her big break last night," I said, beaming at Bella, who was trying to hide under her curtain of straightened hair.

"What?" Rosalie exclaimed, reaching a hand across the table to Bella. "What happened?"

"It's nothing official yet," Bella mumbled, "but Sub Pop Records might want to record an album with me."

Jasper's eyebrows went up as his eyes met mine across the table. "Sub Pop? Really? That's Seattle royalty right there. That's fucking awesome, Bella."

"It's awesome for Edward, too," Bella smiled, leaning her head on my shoulder. "First of all, Jonathan seemed interested in BOTH of us, Edward. And I'm planning on recording his songs, so…he'll definitely be included, and I'm going to insist that he play in the band."

"Jonathan?" Alice gasped. "Oh, Edward…tell me you did something really embarrassing," she smirked.

"Why does everyone keep asking me that?" I whined. "I…I…I was really excited, okay?"

Emmett shuddered. "Ugh, I'll say. Thank God you can now get excited without me having to listen to it. Kudos on your new apartment, by the way," he grinned, raising his beer to me.

"So what happens now?" Rosalie asked, practically salivating. I'm pretty sure she was Bella's biggest fan. I might have to watch out for that one. Or watch them get it on…I'm not sure which side I was pulling for at the moment.

"I called this afternoon, and we're meeting with Jonathan and their head producer tomorrow. They just want to go over their basic expectations, etc." Bella smiled.

She looked so calm and collected talking with the rest of the table about our impending meeting. Such a natural star. I don't know why I never put it together before. Bella belonged in the center of attention, despite her complete aversion to it. It was wear she shined (please, forget about that TERRIBLE pun).

"A toast, please," Rosalie said, leading us in raising our drinks. "To Bella…the only person in the entire world capable of getting Edward to act like a normal, functioning adult. Next thing you know, you'll be this crazy rock star couple, having babies out of wedlock." The entire table went silent as Bella raised an eyebrow at Rosalie, who smirked in return. "What, too soon?"

Bella just shook her head and took a large sip of her drink before everyone else laughed and joined in. When the next song came on, Bella squealed, looking at Rosalie. They had a moment of acknowledgement before Bella leaned into my ear and whispered, "I love this song, Edward—do you mind if I go dance with Rosalie?"

She looked so damn eager, and I would be lying if I said that I didn't want to see her and Rosalie dance, so I nodded my approval before getting a big kiss from Bella. She grabbed my hair with both her hands and sucked my bottom lip into her mouth. Before I even had time to react, she was gone.

"Whoa," I muttered mostly to myself, trying to calm my erection and took a sip of my beer. "What song is this? And why does my girlfriend listen to Top 40 crap?"

"Stop complaining, Edward. You know you love it," Alice scoffed, scooting closer to me in our tight booth. "And the song is actually by Madonna, you jackass. It's called 'Sorry.' Now stop being such a music snob and watch your girlfriend dance."

_With pleasure…_

Bella must have been drunker than I thought because she and Rosalie were dancing awfully close. I think I may have imagined them leaning in to one another and kissing more than once. Emmett also seemed to be in a trance, while Jasper and Alice conversed silently about God knows what.

Just then, I saw an oddly familiar looking guy take hold of Bella's hips from behind, swaying with her to the beat.

_Oh, hell fucking NO._

Bella tilted her head back to see who it was and SMILED. She fucking smiled and just continued dancing like it was no big deal. Well…to hell it was no big deal. They were dancing far too close for my liking. I stood up suddenly, completely blinded by red, and approached the dancing trio. As I got closer, I recognized the man behind Bella.

_Of course. It WOULD be you._

"Felix," I nodded curtly, eyeing his hands, which were too close to Bella's ass, in my opinion.

"Oh, hey Edward," Felix smiled, conveniently stepping back from Bella, who pouted in his absence. She actually fucking pouted. I was about to loose it until Bella turned around smiling and wrapped her arms around my waist.

"You getting lonely, Edward?" she laughed.

"Mmhmm," I mumbled, placing my lips directly next to her ear, just above the 'magic spot.' She shivered in my arms and then looked up with a distinct gleam in her eyes.

"Jealousy doesn't look too bad on you either, bunny, but it's totally unnecessary," she whispered, kissing my jaw softly.

"Bella," Felix began nervously, "uh, I have someone I want you to meet."

Bella screamed, leaving me and Rosalie completely out of the loop and hugged Felix tightly. "Here? Tonight! Where?" she questioned Felix incessantly.

"Come on," he gestured, leading us all to the opposite corner of the room where it was much quieter. A (don't judge me for saying this) tall and extremely attractive blonde man was sitting at a table. Once he saw Felix, his eyes brightened and he smiled broadly.

"Bella, this is Alec," Felix smiled, slipping his hand to Alec's lower back.

_Oh. Oh. Ohhhhhhh._

_You're a dumb ass._

_Shhh. He's totally harmless. I can now be totally supportive of this friendship. Let me get back to being a stellar boyfriend._

_Hah. Sure. Have fun justifying that one_.

Bella reached out to hug Alec, who looked pleasantly surprised. Rosalie, unfortunately looked completely spent.

"Hey, Edward, I think I'm going to head home. It was a big day, but congratulations. And, Bella!" she called out. "You better call me the second you leave that meeting!"

Bella nodded enthusiastically before returning to her conversation with Alec and Felix. I stood by her arm, nodded and mmhmming at all the right moments, but my mind was slowly going into overdrive, panicking about our meeting the next day.

Would they actually want to record my songs? What if my songs completely sucked and Bella was just feeding my ego to be nice? What if Bella became so successful without me that she didn't need me anymore.

_Gulp_.

Finally, my inner panicking was cut short by Bella waving the happy couple goodnight. Still feeling fairly awake from our long afternoon nap, Bella and I got into bed, but couldn't fall asleep. It actually reminded me a whole lot of our first night together in my bed. I decided to be the one to break the silence.

"Why didn't you tell me that Felix was gay?" I asked, rubbing her arm with my hand.

"It wasn't my news to tell, plus I only found out last night. He actually asked me for dating advice, believe it or not," she giggled.

"Really? What'd he ask?"

"Well, he had heard about you. You know, your reputation precedes you, Edward. And he was having a similar situation, I guess you could say." I raised my eyebrow in question, so she continued on. "Alec was some what of a player over the past few years, but he told Felix that he really liked him and wanted to spend time with him, you know? And Felix was nervous that he was just going to get used up and thrown away like all the other guys. So, I basically calmed his insecurities and told him that every thing happens for a reason, and that if I had the chance to meet Alec, I could give him a more accurate assessment. And after tonight, I'd say that Felix and Alec are in the clear. Wasn't he just too sweet?" I nodded, but didn't respond. I was too busy panicking some more.

"Edward, what's wrong?" she asked, stroking my stubble and pressing feather light kisses to my jaw.

"I think I'm nervous about tomorrow," I admitted.

"I'm nervous, too," she smiled.

"Really? Because you seem so calm about it, and I'm freaking out," I sighed.

"Please don't freak out. I need you. I know nothing about the music industry…I'm walking into this meeting completely blind. You're like my seeing eye dog," she laughed.

"Comparing me to a dog. How lovely."

"I mean it," she said sternly. "You are this huge wealth of knowledge, especially about this label. You rendered the head of the label speechless. That's fucking impressive, Edward. I'm just this naïve schoolgirl who they can play with. I need you to help me, okay?"

"Okay," I nodded.

"Good…now I can think of some better ways to calm our nerves," she smiled dangerously, moving closer to me on the bed.

Nothing more was said, only our leisurely kisses were able to calm us down. Our lips molded together softly, just like that night she had come to me crying, needing my comfort. Now, this was Bella's comfort to me. With one of her hands intertwined with mine in between us and the other one stroking my hair gently, I felt more at ease than I had all week. Our mouths opened, allowing our tongues to press softly against one another, massaging each other in wave after tentative wave. Nothing was desperate or hurried, which Bella knew was exactly what I needed. The only noises were our slightly labored breaths and the sound of Bella's nails scratching my scalp. I pulled back before pressing my lips back together and seeking out Bella's.

Hopefully Bella was right and the meeting with the record label would be great. Now, I just needed it to happen. With peaceful thoughts and Bella's lips still pressed against mine, we were lulled into a dreamless sleep.

**Chapter End Notes:**

**Record label meeting tomorrow? New apartment in two weeks? Things are definitely in motion for this couple…I hate to say it, but I think we MAY be approaching the end of this saga (maybe 5 more chapters and an epilogue?). Let me know what you want me to fit in before it's all over!**


	28. Chapter 28

EPOV

"Bella, Edward? Mr. Poneman is ready to see you now," the receptionist called out as we waited patiently in the lobby of the building that I had been dying to get into for years now.

Bella laced her fingers with mine, sensing my nerves and led us into the hall where Jon was waiting to greet us.

"Bella!" he exclaimed, wrapping an arm around my girl. I tensed on instinct. _He's your fucking idol, Cullen. Let him touch Bella. It's totally fine. No freaking_. Bella smiled in return and blushed slightly as he kissed her cheek before pulling away and reaching a hand out for me.

"Edward—nice to see you again," he smiled, shaking my hand firmly. "Thanks for convincing Bella here to come in today. I didn't want to intimidate you yesterday, but I have a pretty unique offer for you two…if you want."

Bella looked at me questioningly—like I was supposed to have the answer to everything—but I was too busy freaking out at the notion that I was about to step into my dream world, that my mind had turned completely into mush. I smiled at Bella hesitantly before following Jon down a long hallway. He opened the door to his office, a small room, considering everything, filled with more records than I could count. I took a mental inventory of everything until—OH MY FUCKING SHIT. I stumbled, my mouth dropping in shock, as I tried to maintain a steady breathing pattern to hold off my hyperventilation until AFTER the meeting.

"Jack, I'd like to introduce you to the people I was telling you about. This is Bella Swan and her band mate, Edward Cullen. Hopefully, you're going to be recording an album with them," he smiled, sitting in a comfortable looking desk chair.

_He DID say 'them', didn't he?_

Jack stood from his seat, holding out his hand for me and Bella to shake. "Nice to meet you both. How are you doing today?"

"I have an erection," I joked, without thinking.

"Edward!" Bella hissed, elbowing me in the stomach…HARD, before I realized what I had said. I ran my hand through my hair nervously as Jon and Jack just chuckled, sitting back down.

"Oh my God, I'm so sorry. That was completely inappropriate. Fuck. Shit, I—I"

_Smooth. Way to be professional. Who says shit like that?_

"Oh, man, I like this kid," Jack laughed loudly, tipping his head back. "Edward—feel free to let it fly."

"Uh, thanks? I didn't really mean it. I say really inappropriate things like ALL the time, and if you know where they're mass producing verbal filters, I'd really love to purchase one."

Bella sighed loudly and rolled her eyes at me. "Unfortunately, that's pretty true. I feel like I should apologize in advance for anything Edward may say in the future, Mr. Poneman."

"First of all, call me Jon, please," he said, "Mr. Poneman is my father. And second of all, we're pretty informal around here. Edward's personality is one of the things that attracted us to him, so never apologize for him," he laughed quietly, raising his eyebrows at me.

"So, Bella, let me tell you who Jack is…unless Edward wants to?" he continued.

"You think I'm the biggest dork ever, don't you?" I laughed, relaxing into my chair as Jon nodded enthusiastically. I felt at home with this man. He was comfortable and unassuming and fucking cool as hell. "Okay, Bella. This," I said, pointing to Jack, "is Jack Endino." Jack smiled and did a mock salute to Bella. "Or should I say, the Godfather of Grunge?" I laughed as Jack shuddered exaggeratedly. "He is one of the best producers and musicians I've ever had the pleasure of listening to," I boasted.

"Fuck, Jon, you were right. Edward is definitely a keeper," Jack laughed. "Keep going. This is quite the ego boost."

_Whoo! I just impressed another one of my idols. Score one for Cullen._

_Um, yeah—that was pretty necessary after you admitted that he gave you a boner._

_He didn't really…it was a joke?_

_Sure, sure. Keep telling yourself that._

_Fuck off. I'm about to get a sweet recording deal…hopefully._

With those thoughts, I returned to the room, where Jon was already starting to explain what they wanted us to do.

"I'm not sure if you know," he started, "but Warner Brothers now owns 49% of Sub Pop Records. I showed one of my superiors Bella's website, and he said that I absolutely HAD to get Bella Swan into my office."

"Only me?" Bella asked.

"Yes," Jon continued. _Fuck._ "They asked only for you, but that was before I saw you two play live. You two are some of the best performers I've ever seen, and I've seen a fucking lot. That's why I asked to see you, too, last night, Edward. I think Bella is only as great as she is on stage because of you; although I'm positive that she'd still be a fantastic performer solo, I'm inclined to believe that she's better with you."

"So what exactly are you proposing?" Bella questioned again. Well, glad that _someone's_ mouth was working properly today. I sat there, completely incapacitated by what I was hearing.

Jon smiled broadly and looked to Jack before looking back at us. "I want you to know that we DON'T do this. Ever. In fact, this is the first time in Sub Pop history that we're about to do what we're asking. We want to sign you…now. As in…today."

My breath caught as Bella's hand grasped mine tighter for comfort.

"We would provide you with representation from the label. Bella would record an album with Jack's house band. But first, we would replace the guitarist with Edward. Bella would officially be the lead singer, being introduced and recorded as Bella Swan, but I think Edward could definitely do backup vocals and feature on a few songs. And if the record is as high-quality as I know it will be, Warner Brothers Music Group wants you to tour next summer with some of their indie-sounding clients. The grouping would be you, Rachel Yamagata, The Wreckers, and The Veronicas, as some sort of female rocker quadfecta…if you will."

"Wh-what?" Bella stammered. I froze. _Did he just say—are we going to—what the…_

"Seriously?"

"Absolutely," Jack smiled. "I have a bunch of songs that I've been wanting to record for a while, and I was so inspired to write after watching your show from last night—"

"Wait, you were there, too?" I interrupted.

He nodded and smiled again. I had never felt more grateful for the crowd at the bar. Had I seen Jack or Jon last night, I'm sure my playing would have been complete and utter shit just because of nerves alone.

"We actually want to record Edward's songs," Bella said, interrupting my thoughts.

"No, Bella—it's fine. Whatever they want, really…"

"No, Edward, it's not fine. We were always going to record your songs. Jack, I'm sure your songs are great, but I'd like you to listen to some of Edward's before making your decision. They're incredible, unique, and written for my voice specifically," she gushed.

_Wow. Bella just gushed. About my music. Ego, INFLATE!_

"Edward, you write?" Jack asked, eyes sparkling with curiosity.

"Uhm, yeah, a little bit," I began uncomfortably.

"A little?" Bella scoffed. "He has a journal filled with hundreds of songs. Stop being so modest, Edward."

"It's not hundreds," I mumbled, mostly to myself. Jon laughed but jumped in again, moving straight to business.

"Here's the deal. We want you to sign with Sub Pop Records. We'll give you $30,000 up front to commit today to the record and the summer tour. After that, we'll see what happens. The album will finish recording by March and go into distribution in June, just in time for the tour, and you will get a 30% cut of those profits."

"Whoa, $15,000 for me?" Bella asked, eyes wide.

"No," Jon chuckled, shaking his head. "$30,000 _each_. Especially if Edward's writing the songs. You know, songwriters supposedly receive the most money."

I couldn't believe what was happening. As Jon started going over the contract he'd already written up, it was as if my life started going slow motion. $30, 000 was a shitload of money. Period. But $30,000 EACH? Plus a tour? Plus an album? I was going to go on tour. With Bella. Life could not get any more perfect than that.

I wanted to deliberate. I wanted to talk it over with my family and friends. I wanted to have a lawyer read over any potential fine print of the contract. I wanted to be more objective about this whole situation, but I couldn't wait another second. It seemed like things were finally falling into place career wise, and I didn't want to jinx anything by putting it on hold.

Bella and I signed the contract with them, making an appointment with Jack to start recording at his studio after the new year. _Cullen, that's only a month away. Your life's ambitions are coming into fruition in a fucking month._

Walking from the office to the car, I was completely numb. Not even the light mist coating my jacket in the freezing weather registered with me. Back in the car, I started my delayed hyperventilation. Breathing unsteadily, in and out, faster and faster until I was gasping for air. _Is this what a panic attack feels like? Wait, why are you panicking? This is GOOD. No, this is better than the best adjective I could possibly come up with._

I wanted to look at Bella's face to see her reaction, but I couldn't think properly yet. The numb feeling was still pretty prevalent. I drove quickly through the streets of Seattle until I felt Bella hand slip over my thigh, effectively relaxing all my muscles. No longer tense, I looked over at Bella, who had a shit-eating grin on her face. I'm sure I looked the same way, and in that moment, I knew exactly what I wanted to do. Bella was probably going to laugh and maybe kill me later, but I wasn't going to stop and ask for her permission.

Ten minutes later, I shut off the engine to the Volvo and stepped out, moving into the backseat. Bella whipped around, confused.

"Edward, what the fuck?" she asked, as I reached forward and pulled her over the center console and into the backseat with me. I placed her on my lap, allowing her to press directly on my fully erect cock. She laughed softly as I pressed my lips to her throat, relishing in the softness of her skin.

"Really, Edward?" she groaned, attempting to protest.

"What?" I asked, my lips still attached to her neck.

"This is not the time for this," she breathed heavily. _Resistance is futile, baby. I ALWAYS win when it comes to sex._

I lifted her head to look directly at me, placing my hands on her cheeks. "Bella, we just got signed. We have a recording deal. They want us BOTH to do it. And we get to go on tour with some of your favorite artists. You can't honestly tell me that you don't want to celebrate," I pushed, staring into her eyes, which were warming with each second I kept mine locked on them.

"I just don't particularly feel like having this day ruined by getting arrested for public indecency," she laughed, moving her head in to press her lips to mine again.

_Bad move, Bel._

Instead of allowing her to pull back, I grasped the back of her head tightly and opened my mouth to deepen our kiss. My cock hardened with each breathy moan I heard escape her lips, and I gripped her hips, firmly attaching them to mine.

"True, but if we get arrested, at least we know we have enough money to make bail," I laughed.

"Fuck it," she conceded, pulling her shirt over her head.

_Fuck, yes!_

Our lips crashed with such intensity that our teeth knocked against one another, throwing us into a heated stripping frenzy. She pulled my shirt off seconds later, allowing us to press hot skin against hot skin. I moved my hands to pull at her breasts, releasing them from her tight bra. Simultaneously, her hands went to my pants, unbuttoning them and pushing them as far down as she could without getting up from my lap. As I sucked one of her breasts into my mouth, biting down gently with my teeth, she cried out in pleasure and reached into my boxers to stroke my aching cock.

_Synchronized sexing. Nice._

"I'm so proud of you, baby," I said, pulling back from Bella's chest for one second. I NEVER called her 'baby,' out loud. It was one of those random rules I had for Bella. She was too special to be called such a commonplace term of endearment; she had nothing in common with the ones I'd called 'baby' before. But, I had inside knowledge that when we were already worked up, Bella had nothing but delightful reactions to that word.

Not one to disappoint, Bella's nails suddenly scratched forcefully into my scalp, pushing me further into her chest, leaving a residual mixture of pain and pleasure; I was surprised I enjoyed the feeling so goddamned much.

"Condom?" she cried out, still grasping at my hair.

"Glove compartment," I groaned, releasing her breast from my mouth again. I looked up for the first time, noticing the car windows. They had completely fogged up. Our heat, combined with the cold from the outside…yeah, we weren't going to be arrested for indecent exposure. I couldn't see a thing outside the car, so I'm pretty sure no one could see in either. Not that they probably couldn't guess what was going on.

Lost in my ponderings, I didn't even realize that Bella had pushed off her own jeans, pulled down my boxers, and handed me the condom.

"Anxious much?" I laughed.

"Don't laugh at me, Edward Cullen. You fucking started this. Now, finish it," she spoke forcefully, adjusting herself to lie down on the seat, pulling me to hover over her.

"With pleasure," I smiled, rolling the condom on and placing myself at her entrance.

I'd never been happier that I drove a Volvo. The backseat had so much room that as long as Bella kept one foot on the ground and the other one bent at the knee, I could keel on either side of her on the seat. We'd figured out that position pretty shortly after beginning to have sex. The Volvo was a choice spot for Bella. It worked, and Bella was DEFINITELY a fan.

I pushed into her forcefully, loving the gasping "Edward!" that came out of her mouth. I tried not to smirk, but I couldn't help it. I loved that I was able to make her scream with the faintest touch.

"Stop gloating," Bella frowned, clenching herself onto my dick purposefully.

"F-fuck," I stuttered, continuing my thrusting at a faster pace. "Touché, Bel." Now it was Bella's turn to smirk.

Our mutual smirks both faded quickly into groans and whimpers, giving into the sensations of pleasure. Her nails raked down my back, and I tried not to shudder under the extreme pleasure it gave me.

_What's up with the enjoyment of pleasure and pain today, buddy? Feeling into whips and floggers, too, huh? Want to be dominated?_

_Oh, fuck that's hot. Maybe. Whoa. What? _

_Shh, not now. Focus._

My thoughts only spurred me nearer to climaxing. Feeling close, I adjusted her leg, driving deeper. Her eyes rolled back slightly before focusing on mine once again. There was nothing better than this. I stared into Bella's eyes, which were alive and seemed to be on fire; I'm sure they mirrored my own perfectly. Her face was flushed and a slight sheen of sweat was beginning to form on her forehead. I leaned down and kissed it away, relishing in the taste of pure Bella. She was having none of that, however, and pulled my head down so that our lips could join again.

She drove her tongue into my mouth as I increased the pace of my thrusting again. They both worked in time with one another, and it was the most erotic and bizarre sensation I think I'd ever experienced.

Unable to hold out for much longer, I reached in between us to find Bella's clit. Instantaneously, she climaxed, pulling my tongue into her mouth to suck on it. The dual sensation of her clenching down on both my cock and tongue at the same time spurred on my own orgasm. I shuddered uncontrollably at the intensity of it, collapsing onto her heaving chest.

_How does she DO that? Seriously?_

"Wow," she sighed, brushing my hair from my face. I hadn't even noticed that it had fallen in my eyes. As she continued to run her fingers through my sweaty hair, I turned my cheek to her chest to listen to her thundering heartbeat. I noticed that I did that a lot after making love to Bella. It was as if by listening to her heartbeat, I could assure myself that YES, this actually happened. Bella exists. She is real. And she's mine.

We lay there for what felt like ages before the air around us turned cool, causing Bella to break out into goose bumps.

"I guess we should put on some clothes before we get hypothermia, huh?"

"I'd rather be naked," I laughed before a soft wind shook the car, making me shiver. "Fuck, when did it get so cold out?" I complained, throwing my wrinkled clothes back on haphazardly.

"I hate to break this to you, Edward, but it's December. We live in Seattle. It gets fucking freezing."

I grumbled again, opening the back door, letting a sharp chill into the car. Looking into the grayness of the sky, I realized that somewhere during the course of our sexcapades in the car, the light mist had turned into snow, shedding a light dusting of white over the parking lot.

_Fucking-A. Snow?_

Even though I had grown up in Chicago and moved to Seattle after, I was still not used to the snow. In fact, I pretty much loathed it. Bella, however, clearly felt differently.

"Bunny, it's snowing!" she cried happily, opening the other door. Her entire face lit up, like a little girl who'd just received the best present in her entire life. It was too cute not to notice, but I hated the snow enough that I was a bit annoyed by it.

"Yeah, yeah. I know…now let's just get the fuck home before it gets too bad to drive," I whined. Bella's head whipped around to meet mine in shock.

"Edward Cullen…do you not like the snow?" she gasped.

"That would be an understatement," I mumbled under my breath, stepping out of the backseat into the cold, snowy air. Just then, I heard a loud _thump_ and an expletive from Bella's side of the car. I tried to run over to see what had happened, but my foot slipped out from underneath me, leaving me on my back next to the car.

I rolled over to see Bella pushing herself up into standing position again.

_No fucking way. And this is why snow is the devil._

"Um, Edward? We may have to call a tow truck. Your car is now lying on a big skating rink…it's all ice under here," she said, moving her feet back and forth smoothly on the iced over pavement.

"No. Come on, it's not that bad, right? My car is the shit. It can handle a little bit of ice. Let's just try it out."

Bella looked skeptical (rightfully so), but I insisted we give it another try. We both hopped into the front, but after pushing the gas and just hearing the wheels whine with no forward motion, it became clear that we were going to need some help.

Bella bit her lip, trying to hold back a laugh at my frustrated face. I growled, bringing my head to the steering wheel before taking a deep, calming breath.

"Okay, you're right," I conceded. "We're going to need some sand or salt or a tow truck to get us the hell out of here."

Bella laughed lightly before picking up her phone to call for help. I turned on my ipod, trying to distract myself from the snowy nightmare outside the car. I only focused back when Bella ended her call with a, "Thanks, Rose. See you in a bit."

"You called Rose?" I asked, annoyed again.

"Um, yes, Edward. We have a friend with her very own tow truck. Why would we pay for one?"

"Because we can, now?" I smirked, giving Bella her favorite half smile. Her eyes flashed in excitement, and for a second, I thought she was going to hop over the console to ride me again. Instead, she just leaned over and pulled my neck towards hers. _Who am I to fight, right?_

We spent the however many next long minutes making out in my car until we were interrupted by knocking at my window. Bella jumped back, eyes wide, like we were two teenagers about to be busted by the cops. Knowing Bella, though, that probably wasn't too far from how she felt.

I rolled down the fogged up window to reveal a smirking and heavily bundled up Rosalie.

"Hey, guys," she grinned. "What'cha doing?"

Bella rolled her eyes and hopped out of the car. "Tell you later," she smirked.

_Hey! How come Bella can tell her friends what we do, but you can't?_

_That was different. Rosalie didn't just walk in on Bella and her vibrator._

_Oo, although…if that actually happened…how would that scene turn out?_

_You are a sick, sick man, Edward Cullen._

_Don't I know it. Ha._

"Edward," Bella called from the front seat of the truck. "Are you going to sit there all day, or do you want to get home?"

I carefully stepped out of the car and made my way to the truck, making sure that I didn't wipe out on the ice and embarrass myself again. As Rosalie finished hooking up the truck to the front of the Volvo, I hopped in, wrapping my arm around Bella's shoulders. If I was going to be miserable about the snow, I may as well be as close to my gorgeous girlfriend as humanly possible, right?

I ran my hand up and down her shoulder, wishing that there weren't multiple layers of clothing in the way, as she leaned into my chest. Clearly unable to keep my hands off of her…ever…I leaned down to kiss the top of her head. Breathing deeply with my nose nuzzled into her hair, she shivered, and I laughed loudly.

"What?" she asked, lifting her head to look me in the eyes.

"You smell like my sweat," I laughed again as she wrinkled her nose and leaned in to smell my chest.

"Well, you smell like sex," she huffed.

"I thought I _always_ smelled like sex, Bel, according to you," I laughed, placing small kisses over her face.

"Ugh, didn't you two just fuck? At least wait until you get home to start back up," Rosalie groaned, sliding into the front seat with us.

"Hey, why would you assume that—"

"Please, Bella, you were one sweaty handprint away from," she began, nodding in the direction of the Volvo, "being in a scene out of Titanic."

I tried to control my laugh, but it came out as sort of a snort. Bella turned to look at me in disbelief.

"What? She's not that fucking far off," I laughed, squeezing Bella further into my side. Bella rolled her eyes and began talking about something non-consequential as we made our way through the snowy streets towards our home.

By the time we got back to our apartment, I was bouncing in my seat with excitement. We made our way inside, only to be greeted by Emmett, Alice, and Jasper's curious faces.

"Rosie, what are you doing here?" Emmett asked, greeting Rose at the door. "I thought you had to work this afternoon?"

"Well, I was supposed to, but I got a very urgent call from these two. Apparently they forgot to check the weather before they drove all the way out to the park…The Volvo is not made for ice, so, Rosalie's tow truck to the rescue, of course," she laughed, pulling Emmett to the couch.

"Why would you two drive out to the park in this weather—oh, ew," Alice rambled, interrupting herself. "At least this time you were defiling your _own_ car," she muttered under her breath.

Bella turned her head into my chest, hiding her clear blush, as everyone around us laughed.

"So, before you give us your own news…I have some of my own," Alice continued, smiling up at me. We all looked at her expectantly. "Well, I'm clearly going to have to wipe down every surface multiple times with bleach," she scoffed, "but Emmett has decided to let me move into your old room, Edward."

My mouth dropped in shock. Alice wasn't going to move in with Jasper? She was going to move into my old room? Did something happen with Jasper that I should know about? My eyes flashed to Jasper, who was just beaming at Alice, one arm wrapped around her shoulder.

"I didn't really feel like moving all my shit into a one bedroom apartment," Emmett shrugged. "And apparently I can tolerate Alice better than Jasper, because he put up NO fight when Alice suggested it."

"Hey, that's not true!" Jasper scowled. "Alice was the one who didn't want to live with me."

Alice, Jasper, and Emmett continued to bicker until Rosalie interjected loudly. "Okay, everyone SHUT UP! I want to hear how the meeting went," she said, nodding at Bella and me.

Bella looked at me hesitantly, so I nudged her in the side, letting her know that she could tell them everything. She took a deep breath and paused for dramatic effect.

"Okay, some time today would be nice, Bella," Emmett goaded. She glared at him; he recoiled quickly, apologizing softly under his breath.

"We got signed!" she shrieked as Alice and Rosalie bounded off the couch to grasp us in a tight embrace.

"We?" Alice asked, eyes directly on me.

"Yup. We," I beamed as Alice squeezed us tighter. _Good thing I don't particularly care about breathing right now…_

"Holy shit. My brother's a rock star!" Emmett yelled, joining the group hug.

"Aw, I want in on the loving," Jasper yelled, leaping off the couch and throwing his arms around my shoulder, on the opposite side of Alice.

"I know you do," Bella laughed, mocking Jasper. His mouth dropped in shock as Alice and Bella burst into uncontrollable giggles.

We all stood there like that for about five minutes, just smiling and laughing and hugging before Bella lifted her eyes to meet mine. With a hesitant look in her eye, she nodded slightly towards my bedroom as if to signal me to get us there.

_Bedroom, baby? Do you even have to ask?_

"All right, people. We appreciate the love, but my lady and I have lots to discuss, since we plan on recording shortly after the new year, so…" Bella smiled widely, grabbed my hand, and led us into my room.

BPOV

Before I could even register what was happening, I was pressed up against Edward's bedroom door being kissed breathless. I responded eagerly, pulling at his hair. His hands found their way underneath my shirt, making small circles on my stomach with his thumbs. I groaned and shivered in appreciation. As soon as Edward's lips left mine and began to trail down my neck, I remembered that I had brought him into his room for a purpose other than sex. I mean, yes, the sex would come later…but for now, I had a very specific mission.

"E..ed…ward" I choked out, trying to stifle the whimper that wanted to be released.

"Mm," he mumbled into my neck, not even bothering to look up.

"I, uh, actually…needed…to talk…to you," I panted. _God has blessed me with a boyfriend with a very talented mouth. Thank you._

This time, I received no response except for Edward's hands trailing further up my ribcage and his renewed effort at giving me a huge hickey.

"Bunny, stop," I said in my best stern voice.

He paused, flashed his eyes up to mine, and pulled back slowly. "Bed," I ordered, nodding my head in that general direction. He looked confused for a second before smirking and then sauntering over to the bed and flopping down noisily.

"Bel, if you wanted to play dominatrix, all you had to do was ask."

I rolled my eyes. _Typical Edward._

"Um, no, we're not playing anything," I frowned as I lay beside him on the bed. He mirrored my frown as he ran one of his hands through my hair, making me smile in return.

"Then why are we on my bed?" he pouted.

I rolled to my stomach and took out my phone. I was very nervous about this conversation. I knew I needed to have it, but I wasn't sure how Edward was going to react. I was hoping it would all work out well. I mean, today had been a STELLAR day, and I had faith that it would continue to turn out well (fingers crossed).

"Okay, here's the deal," I began nervously. "Today was a HUGE day for us, and I think we should call our families."

Edward leaned down to kiss my forehead softly. "Of course we are. Are you going to call your mom?"

"I will…eventually," I sighed, my stomach knotting at his reaction the next part of my sentence, "but first I have to call my real family—Jake."

I kept my eyes locked on his chest, afraid to see his reaction. Instead of the jealous outburst I was expecting, though, I felt his fingers run through my hair again and a loud sigh.

"Bella, I would expect nothing less. Jake is a huge part of your life, and I think he'd be incredibly unhappy if you kept this from him. Why are you still not looking at me?"

I released the tense breath I didn't know I'd been holding and finally looked up at Edward. He looked so concerned. All my nerves dissipated, and I snuggled my head into his chest, smiling broadly.

"Can we call Jake together?"

He reached my hand, which was lying on his chest, to intertwine his fingers with mine. He squeezed lightly and pressed a kiss into my hair again. Just then, I was flipped over onto my back and pressed against Edward's chest, my body becoming trapped between his bent knees. He rested his chin on my shoulder, pressing one more soft kiss on my neck, and grabbed the phone out my hand. He pressed Speed Dial 6 and put it on speakerphone before handing it back to me.

"Hello?" Jake wheezed into the phone.

"Jake? Are you working out? Why the hell do you sound so winded?"

I heard some female giggling in the background of the phone, and Edward laughed into my neck in response.

"Bells? Shit, is that you?" Jake said, still breathing heavily. I heard him _shush_ someone before hearing a door close, leading to complete silence. "Uh, sorry about that…I wasn't expecting you to call…"

"Clearly," I laughed. "So…who's the girl?"

"Aw, Bells," he whined, "I don't want to talk about this with you."

"Will you talk about it with me?" Edward jumped in.

"Hey, Edward—what's up?"

"Bella and I actually have some really exciting news to share—" Edward began. I heard Jake inhale quickly into the receiver.

I cut in. "Edward, don't begin it like that! He's going to have an aneurism! Jake, I'm not getting married and I'm not pregnant."

"Oh, thank God," he breathed. "I mean…I'd be really happy for you, Bells, but, um…yeah. Wow. So, no ring and no baby. Awesome. What's the news then?"

"We got signed!" I screamed again for the second time that afternoon.

"Holy fucking shit, are you serious?" Jake screamed right back. _Ah, yes. This was the Jake I had missed. My best friend. I had never been so relieved to have him back._

"Yeah," Edward added, the excitement contagious in his voice. "Sub Pop records is going to be recording a Bella Swan album as of next month. And, to top that all off, we're going on tour next summer!"

"Album? Tour? Oh my God, Bells—you have to call my dad! _I_ have to call my dad! I knew this was going to happen. Have you called Renee yet? When can I see you? We need to celebrate!" Jake rambled on and on.

"One question at a time, please, Jake," I laughed. "Album, yes. Tour, yes. I was planning on calling Billy next. I haven't called Renee yet, but she's on the list after Billy. And as for when we can celebrate…I have no idea. Edward and I will be busy recording starting in January."

"Come home for Christmas," Jake breathed. "Edward, too. Please. It's perfect timing."

"Uh, I…we," I stumbled. Fuck. Edward and I had yet to discuss Christmas plans, but I vaguely recalled hearing through the family grapevine that Carlisle and Esme planned to come to Seattle to celebrate. Edward would want to be here with his family, but I couldn't refuse the chance to see Jake and Billy before the music madness began.

Edward sensed my indecision, of course (I swear, he can fucking read my mind!) and spoke up. "Are you sure it's okay if I come, too?" Edward smiled.

My mouth dropped in shock before covering the receiver with my hand. "What about your parents?"

"They're coming in on the 23rd, so we'll have one night with them. It'll be fine, Bella. I've spent Christmas with my family for the past 22 years, and now I want to spend my 23rd Christmas with you," he said, melting my heart into goo. I wanted to turn off the phone, straddle him, and do naughty, naughty things, but Jake broke me out of my reverie.

"Of course it'll be fine, Edward. I, uh…am bringing someone home, too, so—"

"Jacob Black," I scolded. "Are you bringing a _girl_ home for Christmas? Does Billy know?" I asked, completely shocked. I guess Jake rebounded fast.

"My dad's the one who suggested I invite her home. Which is why I think he'd be more than happy to have you and Edward there. Come on, Bells. He's been hounding me about your boyfriend since Thanksgiving. He won't shut up about it until he finally meets him. Plus, Emily is cooking, you know you want to come…" he tempted. Emily was Jake's cousin, and she was nothing if not the best cook in all of Washington.

I must have been salivating because Edward chuckled and jokingly munched into my neck, causing me to giggle. "Okay, okay, we'll come! But I want to hear everything about this girl. What's her name? How did you meet her? Where is she from?"

"That's actually a really funny story, Bells…but I'll tell you at home, 'kay?"

"Fine," I conceded.

"I still can't believe you got signed, Bells. That's so RIDICULOUSLY amazing. I can now tell everyone I know that my best friend is a rock star! Plus, I totally did her for like…years. Sex with a celebrity—checked that one off my list," Jake added inappropriately.

I gasped as Edward growled slightly into my shoulder. Then I heard a huge _thwack_ on the other end of the line as Jake mumbled a few expletives away from the phone.

"I'm sorry, baby," he apologized to someone on the other line. _Huh. Baby? I definitely need to be informed about this one._ "Uh, yeah, Bells, I've gotta go. Sorry about that. Love you, congrats again, and see you soon!"

The phone cut off. Edward and I sat in silence for a few seconds before breaking into laughter.

"So, home for Christmas," he chuckled.

"Yeah," I sighed. "Home for Christmas…"

_Gah. Home for Christmas. With Edward._ First a record deal, then an album, then a tour, plus Edward? I was truly grateful that I had another three weeks to prepare because I had a feeling that Christmas in Forks was going to be quite the ordeal this year.


	29. Chapter 29

**AN: My life has calmed down significantly, so--I'm getting this chapter to you earlier than I thought I would.**

**In fact, I thought it was going to be 2 different chapters, but I couldn't wait, haha. So--lucky you...you get 20 pages of Christmas celebration :)**

**Also, I'm beta-ing a story by il-bel-mondo called A Silver Tongue (it's on my favorite story list) – you should all go check it out!**

**Anyway--Enjoy!**

EPOV

I lay in my brand new bed, enjoying the warmth radiating into my side from the sleeping angel tucked under my arm when the most obnoxious ringtone came out of Bella's phone.

_Listen, I mean it. There's nothing that he's worthy of_

_He's jut another player, playing in the name of love_

_I've seen enough, now this must come to an end_

_Get another boyfriend._

I reached over to the side table as it broke into the even more terrible verse, wondering whose ringtone that could POSSIBLY be and almost dropped it when I saw, "CARLISLE" flash up on the screen. Of course my dad and I would both be assigned to a Backstreet Boys ringtone on Bella's phone. We were definitely going to have a discussion about that when she woke up…

"Dad?" I scoffed into the phone.

"Oh, hey, Edward. We're outside your apartment—can you let us in? My ass is going to freeze off out here."

"Do I even want to know why you were calling Bella?"

"She's much more pleasant to talk to than you. Now, are you going to come and unlock the door or what?" my dad rambled.

I groaned loudly as Bella rolled over almost on top of me in her sleep, placing her lips on my bare chest.

"No," I whined, not wanting to move Bella at all. "Go away. Come back in four hours when you SAID you were going to come over. Why the fuck are you here so early?"

"Edward, this is your mother. It is noon, so don't give me that sass about being here 'so early.' We're here because Alice and Emmett were driving us crazy—whoever approved them living together clearly hadn't thought of the ramifications of that evil combination—and your father would not shut up about talking to YOU, so PLEASE let us in before I get frostbite," she said in her best 'mother' voice. I noticed that Bella used that tone with me when she wanted me to do something, and I wondered if it was something women were born with.

"Fine, fine—hold on one second," I grumbled, carefully extracting myself from Bella's grasp, placing my pillow underneath her. She breathed a quiet, "Edward, stay," before pushing her face into the pillow and sighing.

I placed a soft kiss on her forehead, wondering how the fuck I ended up here. I had never been happier or closer to anyone than I had become with Bella. The past three weeks had brought us closer together in a way that I hadn't anticipated. Little things that she did or said somehow made me fall even more in love with her than I thought possible—even with our hectic schedules. We had immersed ourselves in a blur of practicing, rehearsing, performing at the bar, and a not so fun game of musical apartments. It turned out that moving two apartments in the middle of December in Seattle wasn't so much fun…especially when Alice was put in charge.

Alice had gone on quite the power trip, packing up not only her own apartment, but also mine and Bella's. Who knew that giving that girl a label maker would signal the apocalypse? Not to mention, Emmett had a way of instigating everything. He even switched several of the labels "for fun" causing Alice to have somewhat of a mental breakdown. We had needed Jasper to take her on a daylong shopping trip to calm her down, and even THAT didn't work that well.

Luckily, Bella and I were exempt from most of the moving duties, spending all of our free time rehearsing in Jasper's basement while the others were forced to move for us. Unfortunately (or fortunately, depending on how you look at it I guess), on the one day we were expected to help out, tragedy struck.

_FLASHBACK_

"_Bella, can you fit another box into the car?" Alice screamed, racing a box of kitchen supplies into my arms. Bella was already in the car, waiting to finally take off to our new apartment. I looked at the carton skeptically; Orlando looked packed to the brim, filled to maximum capacity with boxes._

"_Alice, where the hell am I supposed to put this?" I asked, raising my eyebrow._

"_Sit it on your lap, Edward. You guys only have two free hours to unpack everything, and I refuse to waste a single minute or a single inch of space. We need to be as efficient as possible," Alice continued to explain as I sighed, grabbed the box, and squeezed my way into the passenger seat of Orlando._

_Bella looked as exhausted as I felt, sitting in the front seat. We were finally ready to take off, however, as she turned the ignition on, the car rumbled weirdly. I didn't say anything because I learned from experience that Bella was VERY sensitive about her "baby." According to her he ran perfectly fine. Yeah, perfectly fine, my ass. As Bella pressed on the gas, we made it about ten feet before Orlando sputtered and came to a sad halt, steam and smoke coming from under the hood._

"_No! Orlando!" Bella cried, hopping out of the car to lift the hood. As she did, more smoke billowed out into the air. "Rosalie! Help! He's dying!" she yelled, looking in vain for someone to help. _

_After Rosalie ran out to inspect under the hood, she sighed and put a comforting hand on Bella's shoulder. "He's not dying anymore, B. He's dead."_

"_What? No! That can't happen," Bella said frantically. I wrapped my arm around her waist as she brought out her phone to call the car's maker._

"_Jake!" she continued in a panic. "Orlando just freaked out. He started smoking and then just gave out on the side of the road. What do I do?" Whatever Jake said, it OBVIOUSLY didn't help because tears started running down Bella's face. I attributed it to stress and exhaustion at the time, but as Bella hung up the phone and started sobbing and heaving into my shoulder, I had a feeling that maybe it was about something else all together._

_Bella and I sat on the couch of what was now Emmett and Alice's apartment for the rest of the afternoon while the rest of our friends moved everything else for us. I just held Bella in my arms, unsure of what to do, as she cried for an hour straight. Finally, when it seemed she was all cried out, she turned to look at me with sad eyes._

"_My dad gave me that car for my 16__th__ birthday," she croaked, her throat cracked and dry from her crying fit. "Jake said that Orlando had died and gone to car heaven. Do you think Orlando showed up at my dad's driveway just now?"_

_My heart broke. I had no way to relate to her. I didn't know what I would do if one of my parents passed away. Instead, I nodded and continued to hold her as she cried herself into a fitful sleep._

_END FLASHBACK_

Although it was a pretty terrible experience for both of us, it DID get us out moving, and it brought us closer together as best friends, which I didn't even know was possible. And as our Christmas present, Alice decided to decorate our apartment for us. It was amazing. Alice WAS a master decorator. And Bella and I had made the most of our new, um, surfaces. The second we were alone, the front door locked, we jumped each other in the middle of the living room…it was so great. In fact, in the eight days we'd officially been living here, we'd had sex everywhere. In the shower, Jacuzzi, on our bed, on the kitchen counter, against the refrigerator, against the front door…um, yeah…everywhere. I was pretty sure we kept Lysol in business single handedly that week with the amount we'd been using to clean up after ourselves.

Oh, yeah. That was the last and most glorious thing that had happened over the past three weeks. Bella's birth control was finally effective…meaning: NO MORE CONDOMS. Yes. It was lovely (besides the fact that clean up was now a hell of a lot messier—hence the Lysol). Being inside Bella without anything else was utter heaven. In fact, I was pretty pissed that I had been so drunk on Halloween; I hadn't been in the right state of mind to even enjoy the massive fuck up I'd been partaking in.

_You should feel guilty for thinking that, Cullen. That's fucked up._

_Um, I'm sorry?_

_*Sighs* Sure you are…_

As I heard the loud pounding on my front door, I realized it was probably time to stop spacing out, staring at my stunning sleeping girlfriend, and face the day with my parents. Trudging out of the room, I opened the front door to reveal my cold and annoyed looking parents.

"Could you have taken any longer?" my dad complained, making his way to our couch. "It's negative 10 degrees out here," he continued as I took my mom's coat and led her into our apartment.

"Oh, Edward, it's lovely! Alice did such a great job of decorating in here. And where's Bella? I've missed that girl," my mom added as she inspected the gloriousness that was our new apartment.

"Um, Bella's still asleep," I said, running a hand through my hair. I was not fully awake yet, and I wasn't completely ready to deal with my parents yet; I was certainly not ready for what happened next.

"Oh, good!" my dad exclaimed, jumping off the couch. "I have a present for you, well—it's actually for Bella. I mean, Bella and you, if you want…" he rambled. _My dad was rambling?_

"Carlisle, what is this all about?" my mom asked, clearly as frustrated as me with my dad's incoherent rambling.

My dad smirked and pulled a small navy pouch out of his pocket. As he raised it into the air, my mom caught sight of it and gasped loudly, her eyebrows shooting up to meet her hairline. It would have been a comical reaction if I had any idea what was causing it.

"Carlisle!"

"What?" I asked, completely lost. "Why are you both looking at me like that?" I looked back and forth between my father's smug expression and my mother's shocked one before my dad went forth with the "big reveal."

He brought the pouch down and grabbed my hand, holding it out with the palm facing the ceiling. He shook the pouch, allowing the contents to spill out into my palm. My heart came to a halt as I looked at the beautiful ring now sitting in my hand.

I recognized the ring the second it left the pouch. It had belonged to my grandmother. The ring had been in the Cullen family since the early 1900's. It was supposed to be passed on to the eldest son in each generation, to be given to their…wife. I gulped, staring at the large diamond.

"Dad?" My eyes flashed back up at my dad's eyes. He was still smirking, but I could see the vast amounts of pride he was trying to mask with it. "I…uh…" I struggled to form a response; my eyes had darted back down to the diamond, and I couldn't look away.

"This isn't meant to pressure you, Edward," my dad explained in his calm 'doctor' voice. "Before my mother passed away, she told me to hold onto it for you boys. I just wanted you to have it. Just in case. I didn't know if you had looked around yet, but as soon as you called me after Thanksgiving, and when you told me about the record deal—"

"N-no," I stuttered. My heart was beating so loudly that I could hear it in my ears, yet I still couldn't tear my eyes away from the ring. It was perfect. It was exactly what I imagined Bella wearing. It was a simple (albeit gorgeous and probably ridiculously expensive) diamond set in an intricate platinum setting, which was embedded with a smattering of smaller diamonds.

And holy shit…it just WAS Bella. It was unmistakably beautiful but completely unassuming. It was loud enough to make a statement but still modest. It was dainty but had presence. It wasn't gaudy but it sparkled wildly under even the dimmest of lights. I was entirely entranced by it. In fact, I realized that I was still staring at it instead of responding to my father.

"I-I hadn't st-started l-looking. B-but-t th-this is p-perf-fect." _Since when do you have a stutter? Pull yourself together, Cullen!_ "Are you sure, Dad?" I asked sincerely, wondering if he truly didn't want to save the ring for Emmett. After all, it was tradition to pass it to the eldest son, and I certainly hadn't been expecting to receive it.

My dad smiled widely, placing a large hand on my shoulder. "I have never been more sure of anything. Look at you," he laughed, wrapping his other arm around my mom. She smiled and kissed my dad's cheek, leaning on his shoulder. "You want this."

"You want what?" I heard a sleepy Bella call from our bedroom. My eyes widened, realizing that I needed to find somewhere to put the ring before Bella took the ten steps from our bedroom into the living room. Panicking, I slipped the ring back into the pouch and clenched my fist around it.

"I want to go over our set list for New Years again," I called back, attempting to calm my voice.

"Um, okay," she mumbled. "Edward, why did my secret boyfriend call me this morning? I've been looking forward to hearing that ringtone since Thanksgiving—why didn't you wake me? Did you talk to him?" she babbled, starting to sing through the God-awful ringtone. My dad listened to the lyrics with amusement, chuckling at the notion that Bella would even joke about him becoming her new boyfriend. She must have really just woken up if she hadn't realized that the voice she had originally responded to was my father's. My poor angel was in for quite the shock in three…two…

"Oh my God, Edward!" I felt a large whack on the back of my head. _Ow_. "How long have you two been here? I'm so embarrassed. Edward," she glared at me, before putting her body directly behind mine, "should have woken me up. I'm so sorry."

I looked behind me, wondering why she was clutching my body in front of hers until I noticed that she was still wearing her pajamas (aka the CULLEN t-shirt she had stolen from me on Thanksgiving and a pair of underwear).

"Don't worry, darling," my dad smirked. "Your secret boyfriend is here now, and we have _so_ much to catch up on."

"Dad!" I yelled. Bella wrapped her arms tighter around my waist, and I could feel her heat seeping through the back of my t-shirt. I would give money to bet that Bella's entire body was blushing right now. I looked down at her only to have my predictions be confirmed.

Bella blushed furiously, mumbling apologies to my mother under her breath before backing into our bedroom to change into real clothes. I only had enough time to smack my dad before Bella came out in the same t-shirt, but with a pair of sweats on, too. She smiled widely before embracing both my parents tightly. We all sat down on the couch to catch up with one another for the next few hours, the ring burning a hole into my fist with every second that passed. Bella explained our record deal and tour plans in intricate detail to my parents, who listened on with rapt attention (despite the fact that I'd done the same thing with them a few weeks earlier). We talked about our move, our rehearsals, even my parents' flight. Finally, hours later when the rest of the family came over to meet us for dinner, I was able to make my escape.

I searched frantically around the room, looking for a hiding place for the ring. I finally ended up putting the pouch into one of my socks and pushing it to the back of my sock drawer. It felt kind of dirty to put it there, but it was the one drawer I was certain Bella would never go into.

"Edward, you ready to go?" Bella asked, popping her head into the room as I slammed the drawer shut.

"Yup," I smiled, leading us both out of the room. "Just getting nervous for Forks."

She stopped abruptly in the doorway and turned to look into my eyes. She stood there searching for something; I had an irrational fear that she would somehow figure out I was in possession of an engagement ring, and I was scared shitless. What if Bella wasn't ready to get engaged? What if she didn't want to get married? We'd BARELY been a couple for four months. That was quick. That was really quick. But was it too quick? Just because it wasn't too fast for me didn't mean that she would say 'yes.'

"You ARE nervous," Bella confirmed, running her fingers through the back of my hair. "There's no need to be nervous, bunny. They're going to love you." She smiled a gorgeous smile, the one she always saved for me, and pulled my neck down to kiss me. I couldn't disagree and tell her what I was ACTUALLY nervous about, so instead I gave into her kiss, pressing her back up against the doorframe. I would worry about the ring later. For right now, I would just enjoy my favorite holiday with my favorite girl.

***

The entire time we were at dinner, my thoughts were stuck in my sock drawer with Bella's engagement ring. Although I wished that dinner would have been a quiet affair, my family was determined to do nothing quietly.

"Since you two aren't going to be here tomorrow, can we give you your presents now?" Emmett asked loudly, pouring yet another glass of wine for himself.

"I thought we weren't doing presents?" I groaned. We had decided that since we had all been going non-stop since Thanksgiving that Christmas presents were not necessary this year. In fact, Bella and I decided that instead of something tangible and most likely forgettable, our present would be to act out one fantasy for the other. I couldn't wait to cash in on THAT present.

"Oh, Edward," Rosalie laughed, "you didn't think we'd actually adhere to that, did you?"

"You didn't get anything for us, did you?" I asked my parents. My mom shook her head, but as my dad smirked at me, I realized that he already HAD. _Fuck. A ring. An engagement ring. Sitting in my sock drawer. Gah. Panic._

Emmett thrust a small package into Bella's hands. "Should I open it now?"

"Of course!" Rosalie smiled. Bella looked at me, confused, but I had no idea what they had gotten her. She opened up the package to reveal…wait, really?

"Um, Rosalie…is this a really bad joke?" Bella asked, tears starting to form in her eyes.

"No, honey. It's real," she smiled. "You two haven't noticed since you've been so busy, but I haven't been around that often…"

Bella threw herself out of her seat, wrapping her arms tightly around Rosalie's neck. "Thank you SO much, Rose," she said, the tears returning to her eyes.

"It was actually Emmett's idea." Bella separated herself from Rose and accosted Emmett instead. After the hugging was done, Bella returned to the seat next to me with an excited grin on her face.

"Bunny, do you see this?" she smiled, holding up her old car key in front of my face.

"I see it, Bel. I'm glad you have your old, piece of crap car back."

"I may have made some, um, improvements," Rose giggled.

"Yeah," Jasper cut in uncomfortably, "I put in a new stereo system, so you can have surround sound for your, um, soundtrack…so, that's a present for BOTH of you." Bella laughed, throwing her head back, understanding what Jasper was alluding to. Only Jasper would make up for inappropriate cock blocking by giving us more incentive to have car sex.

"Thanks, J," I winked, wrapping my arm around Bella.

"And last, but not least," Rosalie said, eyes gleaming as she handed me a huge ass present. It landed on the table with a large _thud_.

I tore up the wrapping paper to reveal a massive photo album. Opening the cover, I realized there was a message on the inside:

**To Edward,**

**So you always remember why this year was the beginning of the rest of your life.**

**Love,**

**Rose and Emmett**

**PS-We always knew you could be this person (well, there was a time there when we doubted it, but we still hoped). We're just glad it finally happened.**

I gulped. _The beginning of the rest of my life? Yup. That's what marriage is, right? I _turned the pages, seeing the transformation of myself in front of my own eyes. The pictures started at our very first gig and continued all the way up until last week. Some of the pictures were such intimate close ups of Bella and I looking at one another from across the stage, or across the room, I wondered how we kept our relationship a secret from anyone.

"How did you get all of these?" Rosalie blushed. _Wait, Rosalie blushed?_

"I'm kind of an administrator on Bella's fan site," she mumbled. "One of the guys who started it is a photography major at UW, and he has such an extensive collection of photos of you two…I just asked if I could go through them…"

The album got passed around, with everyone making colorful comments. Alice squealed at one as she held the album up for the table to see.

"This is my favorite," she beamed. It was the picture of us she had taken on Halloween. Bella (or should I say Pocahontas) was carefully perched on my back, passed out, as I smiled slyly at her, peering at her under my lashes. I looked like I was in love. I mean, theoretically I KNEW I was in love, but to actually see it—to make it corporeal—was shocking. As the group continued to fawn over the photos, I slipped into deep thought, wondering how on earth I was going to propose to Bella.

BPOV

Edward had been acting weird for the past twenty-four hours, and I refused to believe that he was THIS nervous about going to Forks. I mean, he'd already met Jake. And although they had hated each other at first sight…I was sure he'd gotten over that. Well, pretty sure. But he was especially quiet with his family last night—it was bizarre. After we had received our amazing presents, he completely cut himself off from everyone—even me. And now we were trapped inside his Volvo listening to music, and he hadn't spoken to me in about an hour and a half. His eyes kept shifting from the road to both of the mirrors, always avoiding eye contact with me. I was starting to really freak out.

_Ugh. This is torture._

"Did I do something wrong, Edward?"

He looked startled, my worried voice finally breaking into the heavy silence. "What? Of course not—why would you think that?" he smiled, placing his hand on my thigh.

I relaxed infinitely under his touch and smiled back.

"You haven't spoken at all since we passed the outer limits of Seattle, so…"

"Shit, really?" I nodded. "I'm so sorry, Bel. I just have a lot on my mind today. Family stuff," he winced.

_Family stuff? Is that why he was so quiet during dinner last night?_

"What kind of family stuff? Do you want to talk about it?" I asked, concerned, rubbing the back of his hand, which was still placed on my thigh.

He shook his head and turned down the music, removing his hand from underneath mine. I recoiled, hurt by his blatant brush off. Had we not come far enough as a couple for him to discuss important family things yet? I thought that after I'd had my mini-breakdown concerning my father that we'd already reached that point. _Apparently not._

Dejected, I reached for his ipod to find something to listen to. Edward seemed pacified with that and turned the volume back up. Depressing song after depressing song popped up on his shuffle (Edward not noticing in the least, still not talking at ALL), and finally I couldn't stand it anymore. Mid Kate Voegele's version of "Hallelujah," I growled and turned off the stereo, crossing my arms like a petulant child.

"Edward, say something god damn it! You're really freaking me out, okay? This is Christmas! It's my favorite holiday, and we're going home to visit my best friends—and you're ruining it! Stop being the fucking Grinch and tell me what the HELL is going on?" I exploded.

Edward looked at me apologetically, smiling softly, regret and sadness tainting his gorgeous green eyes.

"Bella, honestly, NOTHING is wrong. I'm sorry that I've been kind of quiet, but I really just have a lot on my mind. My dad and I had this huge conversation yesterday, and…I'm just not ready to talk about it all yet, okay? I can promise you that you'll be the first to know when I am, though. I really didn't mean to ruin your Christmas. It's my favorite holiday, too, and I couldn't be more excited to hang out with your friends. I'll be better. I-I'm just s-so bad at th-this."

_Did the smooth, suave, womanizing Edward just stutter? Okay, now I know something is wrong._

_Give him time…no, I'm impatient, and I want to know now!_

_Well…too bad, 'cause it doesn't look like he's breaking yet._

Rolling my eyes at my head battling itself, I turned back to Edward, who was still staring at the road.

"It's fine," I sighed, resigning myself to the fact that he'd tell me whatever was bothering him when he was ready. "I was just making sure I didn't upset you or anything."

"You didn't," he said, the sparkle returning to his eyes. "So, now it's your turn to prep me. Tell me about everyone."

I began my schpiel, informing Edward about Christmas at the Black's. He was starting to warm up again, and we spent the last hour of the drive singing Christmas songs to one another. Finally, it was starting to feel like Christmas.

EPOV

I was REALLY sucking at life. I had debated all last night as to whether or not I should bring the ring with me to Forks. Ultimately, I decided that I didn't want to propose on Christmas (wasn't that jumping the gun a little bit?), but as soon as we left the apartment, I couldn't help but become wracked with guilt. Why did I feel like I was chickening out and bailing?

I hadn't even noticed that I wasn't speaking until Bella pointed it out. I should have known that I couldn't pull anything over her. She knew me better than anyone. And I could tell how upset she was when I wouldn't talk to her about it, but what was I supposed to say?

_Uh, sorry I've been acting weird all day, Bel—my dad passed on an engagement ring to give you, but I have no idea how to create the perfect proposal for you, so I left it at home in my sock drawer…what do you think?_

_Yeah, not so much_.

As we pulled up to the rustic house overlooking the beach and water, my nerves started calming themselves. I had no choice to pull myself together now. It was game time.

I heard a loud chorus of "Bella!" before her door was wrenched open. I looked up to see a mass of huge, tan limbs surrounding her in every direction as Bella was seemingly passed around the group.

_Wow, what do they feed the kids here? They are HUGE!_

I got out of the car slowly, observing the scene in front of me. Suddenly all the guys froze and started looking me over. I had never felt more on display than in that moment. I shoved my hands into my coat pockets, awkwardly waiting for the introductions to begin.

Luckily, I didn't have to wait that long. I felt a large hand clap my shoulder, pushing me forward toward the gaggle of kids. I peered up only to be greeted with Jake's laughing face. I rolled my eyes, nodding in acknowledgment.

"Jake."

"Edward," he replied roughly, puffing out his chest. "Bells!" he grinned, loping towards Bella. "How's my rock star doing?"

"Good," she blushed as all the guys broke out into cheers around her. Not knowing what to do, I grabbed our bags out of the trunk and began walking towards the house. Barely two steps in, the bags were yanked from my hand by a smaller (aka, not yet GIANT) kid, who smiled politely.

"Here, let me get those for you." I attempted to interject but was shot down quickly. "Billy insisted I come get those…he's dying to meet you. I'm Seth, by the way," he said excitedly holding his hand out.

I shook the hand and smiled back. He seemed like a pretty nice kid. "Edward."

"Yeah, I know," he laughed, running back inside the house. Before I could respond, I felt Bella wrap her arms around my waist, pressing her cheek to my back. I spun around quickly, hoisting her back into my arms.

"Happy to be home?"

She was glowing. "Yup."

"Bella, get your ass inside! I know you'd be awfully sad if your boyfriend lost any extremities, due to frostbite," a cackling voice called from inside the house.

Bella rolled her eyes and blushed. "Billy." She paused. "You ready?" I gave her my best grin, and she just laughed in return.

Grabbing my hand, she pulled us into the house. It was incredible. It felt like a home. I loved my house in Chicago, but it always felt so impersonal. Not this house. No. This house clearly belonged to a family. The walls were covered in pictures, showcasing Bella and Jake through the years. The boys I had seen attack her a few minutes ago also made a few cameos. I picked out Bella's dad immediately. They looked so similar; it was uncanny. I must have been staring for too long because soon I heard a loud throat clearing behind me.

Bella had her arms wrapped around an older man sitting in a wheelchair, who was appraising me thoroughly. He smiled, wrinkles creasing at the corners of his eyes.

"Edward," he began, "I can't tell you how happy I am to have you here."

"Thank you for having me, sir," I said, holding out my hand for him to shake.

He stared at my hand for a beat too long, so I started to drop it away. I guess they weren't that kind of family? Just then, Billy broke into laughter and pulled my hand towards him to bring me into a firm embrace.

"I'm just kidding, Edward. I'm sorry, I'm sorry," he apologized to Bella. "But you know Charlie wouldn't approve of me if I didn't…" he trailed off. "I mean, I know he's probably screaming at me for only making up one room for you two—heaven forbid his only daughter live in sin," he scoffed as Bella blushed, "so I figured the least I could do was give the kid a hard time."

Bella shrugged and came to wrap her arms around my waist again, leaning into my side as she sighed happily.

"Thanks, Billy."

"No problem, Bells." He looked contemplative. "Anyway, you two go clean up for dinner. You know we have a long night of movie watching ahead of us," he grumbled.

"Ugh, what are we watching this year?" Bella whined.

"Lord of the Rings," Billy said, exasperated. Bella's eyes widened. "Apparently Seth is still going through an Orlando Bloom phase."

"No way. I thought we made a rule about Seth picking the movies two years ago when he made us sit through all three of the Pirates of the Caribbean!"

Wow, I loved this family already.

Billy just shook his head and mumbled something to himself as he wheeled himself off to the living room where all the boys had communed around a large plate of appetizers. Bella led us down a long hallway to a small blue bedroom with a large white bed in it. Even without looking at the pictures, I knew it was Bella's room.

I noticed our bags were already there, too. "So, what's the deal with Seth?" I remembered that he was the one who brought the bags inside, and then those comments between Billy and Bella…

"He's adorable, isn't he? Only sixteen years old, and he wants to be just like his brother Sam. It's a funny story actually. Sam's married to Jake's cousin Emily. And even though Sam and Seth grew up here—literally down the street from Emily, they didn't meet each other until they worked on a class project at USC film school, hence the movie tradition on Christmas Eve. Sorry about that…I probably should have warned you more…"

"No, no," I said, kissing the top of her head. "It's great. They're great."

"Thank you. I love you," she sighed into my chest.

I tightened my hold on her hips, slowly pushing her shirt up so I could run my fingers over her bare skin. It was in that moment that I realized that I wasn't nervous anymore. I probably could have brought the ring with me and proposed to her right then. I knew from the bottom of my heart that I could never love anyone as much as I loved Bella, and I was positive that it was mutual.

"I love you more," I challenged.

She looked up at me incredulously before scoffing a loud, "Impossible."

Dinner went by without issue. I was introduced to the entire horde—there were SO many of them, but I managed to keep their names straight. There was Quil and Embry, Jake's best friends, plus Emily who was married to Sam and his little brother Seth. Then, there was Paul, Jake's other cousin, and his wife Rebecca. Plus Billy's best friend Harry and his wife Sue. Bella was obviously a central figure to the family, and therefore I was subsequently interrogated by each and every one of them. By the end of our meal, I'm pretty sure they all knew my life story. Quil and Embry got a big when I told them how Bella and I got together the day Jake left. Bella shook her head with embarrassment as Quil shoved Jake yelling, "Burned!" and "Denied!"

Jake simply retorted, "Whatever. _My_ girlfriend will be here tomorrow."

Bella's eyebrow's shot up as she made eye contact with Jake across the table. "Girlfriend? Are you going to tell me _now_ about this mystery girl?"

"Nope." Jake shook his head vehemently.

Quil and Embry shook their heads, nudging one another discreetly under the table, and I wondered what they knew about Jake's new flame.

After dinner, we all moved to the living room to watch _ The Lord of the Rings_. But about halfway through _The Two Towers_, Bella fell asleep, curled up like a cat, her head in my lap. I ran my fingers through her hair, enjoying the soft sighs escaping her lips.

"You know, Edward…you may not be all bad," Jake whispered, staring at Bella's sleeping smile.

"Thanks?"

"No, I'm serious. I—I know I kind of spazzed out for a while back there, but…can you imagine having that," he said nodding to Bella, "and then realizing it wasn't there anymore?"

I gulped, trying to think of a day without Bella. "No, definitely not," I croaked out.

"So, when are you proposing?" Billy joked from across the room.

"New Years."

The room froze, each person staring at me with their mouths open.

_Fucking hell, did I say that out loud? When did I even make that decision?_

_Um, I guess right now. That was like animal instinct or some shit._

_Too soon? Probably. Do you care? …not really._

_Awesome. Mind made up. Break_.

"You're serious." Jake looked baffled.

_I feel you, dude. I legitimately have NO idea where that came from!_

I nodded, feeling my heart rate and breathing pick up, completely shocked by the revelation. Before I could start panicking again, Bella started whimpering in her sleep, pulling me back to the present.

"Bella, baby, are you okay?" I whispered, pushing her hair away from her face.

"Edward," she mumbled along with some pterodactyl noises. "Edward, harder," she moaned more clearly, starting to squirm around in my lap. I could feel myself growing hard underneath her, and I rued the fact that she could elicit this kind of response from me even in her sleep.

The entire room broke out into loud guffaws of laughter, and I suddenly felt like I was surrounded by 10 Emmetts.

_Right. And that's our cue to leave_.

"I'm going to put her to bed." I leaned towards the door, hoping to hide my blush in the shadows.

"You do that, Casanova," Embry laughed. "Night, Edward." I heard them all break into laughter again after I'd left the room. Oh God, when those kids met Emmett, it was going to be the end of peaceful living as we knew it.

Sighing, I placed the still squirming and moaning Bella into bed. I stared at her for a second before taking a deep breath. New Year's Eve. It was our last gig at The Mansion, and I supposed it was as good a time as any to have a true token of moving forward with Bella. We would be making the transition from cover band to real recording artists at the same time we would transition from boyfriend/girlfriend to engaged (hopefully). Feeling confident for the first time since speaking with my father, I fell into an easy sleep.

***

I was woken up the next morning by the greasy smell of bacon and…strawberries? I cracked one eye open to see Bella munching happily on bacon and pancakes, topped with strawberries.

"That smells good," I moaned, grabbing a strawberry from her plate and popping it into my mouth. "Mmm."

"Merry Christmas," she smiled, pressing her lips to mine, licking the sticky sweetness from my mouth. I kissed back after properly swallowing the strawberry, not wanting to choke, wrapping my hands in her hair. Giggling, Bella placed the plate on the bedside table before rolling on top of me.

"Merry Christmas, indeed." I pressed my hips into her, watching her squirm again…reminding me of her public dream from last night. I decided it was time for a little bit of punishment. I moved one hand from her hair to trail down her back, pushing the shirt up.

"Edward, we don't have time for this—it's already noon, and everyone will be here by two…"

"You don't have to do anything, Bel. Just relax and enjoy," I smirked, bringing my hand to the waistband of her underwear, running my finger back and forth over her bare skin.

Bella barely resisted before bringing her mouth back down to mine. I nipped at her bottom lip, biting it softly as I continued to tease her with my hands—allowing them to trail to her sides, but never far enough.

"You're such an ass," she complained, taking matters into her own hands and forcing my hand down the front of her boy shorts.

"You're impatient this morning," I laughed. She may have thought she was in control, but I left my hand completely motionless, never moving to where she obviously desired it.

"It's not morning anymore. And we're on a time budget, Edward. Get to work, please." She grinned innocently, opening her eyes wide, looking like an angel. How was this angel managing to look innocent while asking me to finger her on Christmas? _The things I do for love…_

I slipped my finger slightly further down, only to be greeted by slick wetness. "Shit, Bel—you are REALLY wet," I groaned.

"I've been waiting HOURS for you to wake up, bunny. I'm not above begging," she whimpered, pushing her hips up slightly, effectively moving my finger further inside her warm core. I stopped resisting and pushed two fingers into her, sliding in with ease. I could feel her clench around them tightly, as another surge of wetness ran down my fingers.

I moved my hand leisurely, kissing Bella's throat as her hair fell in a curtain around us. She was feeling really impatient, apparently, though, because shortly after, Bella moved my hand again—this time, placing my thumb at her clit. I smiled, loving that she felt comfortable enough to take complete control of me, and curled my fingers inside her. She panted heavily into my neck, obviously trying to control the scream she wanted to let loose. She came hard around my fingers, whimpering as I refused to let up—riding her through another wave before pulling out.

She took my fingers, sucking them slowly into her mouth, obviously torturing me in return. She knew we didn't have enough time to finish ME, yet here she was…getting me as hard as a rock and unable to do anything about it.

"Bells, I—shit, sorry, guys…" Jake's voice called before the door slammed shut. Bella groaned and rolled off of me.

"We are SO good at getting interrupted. Ugh, I guess we better get up." I growled, extremely unhappy with the current state of my cock. Fortunately, my girlfriend is not completely cruel. After a stellar blowjob in the shower, we got dressed and made our way out to continue the Christmas celebrations.

We made our way out to the living room, where Jake mumbled some awkward apologies while avoiding eye contact with both Bella and me. I'm pretty sure he hadn't really gotten an eye full of anything, but…seeing Bella straddling me in bed while sucking my fingers probably wasn't how Jake wanted to wake up on Christmas.

I spent the rest of the afternoon talking with Sam, who was actually a really interesting guy (apparently he was currently making a documentary about the traditions of La Push for The Discovery Channel), while Bella exchanged presents with everyone. Every so often, she'd catch my eye, allowing a small smile to grace her features.

Finally, Jake's long awaited girlfriend showed up. I could tell she had gotten there because Embry and Quil's comments were getting progressively more inappropriate, and Jake RAN to the door to greet her. Bella came back over to me while we waited patiently for Jake to make his own introductions. It was nice—there was a new 'new kid.' It felt like I was officially off the hook.

Jake made his way back into the living room with a beautiful girl, who I assumed was his girlfriend. They looked like they belonged together. Her skin was tan, almost darker than Jake's, and her long, dark hair trailed halfway down her back. They also wore matching smiles, their hands interwoven in between them. I looked down at Bella to make sure she was doing okay—I mean, this was the first real girlfriend of Jake's post-her. As much as we were in love, it must be at least a little hard to see that…I could understand that.

As usual, Bella defied my expectations. She was looking at the mystery girl with the most bizarre expression on her face, as if she was trying to decipher something; it was a look of curiosity and bewilderment.

"Bells!" Jake called, smiling even wider, approaching us. "There's someone I want you to meet…this is Leah." The girls hugged tentatively, Bella trying to hide her expression with a smile (but I knew better).

"It's nice to meet you, Leah. Jake has told me absolutely nothing about you, so we'll have lots to talk about."

Leah explained that she was a cheerleader at the University of Oregon, and she had connected with Jake at a post-game party one night while they were traveling. She had noticed Jake way earlier in the school year, but she hadn't said anything because she thought he had a girlfriend (Jake and Bella both frowned awkwardly at THAT admission; I gripped Bella's waist tighter). As Leah continued to tell us about what she was studying—she was also a junior, double majoring in Art History and Public Policy and Development—Jake continued to smirk at Bella. I knew that he had seen her facial expression. I was pretty sure that he could decipher them as well as I could. And it seemed like he was waiting for Bella to figure something out.

Soon enough, she did. "Oh my GOD!" Bella yelled, effectively silencing the room around us. Her entire body blushed as she glared at Jake.

_What is happening?_

_Pay attention, Cullen…it looks like there's going to be a catfight!_

"Jake," she whisper yelled, "I can't believe you…I honestly just…" She turned back to Leah, who was now wearing a similar smirk to Jake.

"I'm sorry," she apologized. "Jake wouldn't let me say anything…he thought it would be funnier if you figured it out for yourself."

"It really was, Bells," Jake chuckled.

"What's going on?" I asked, wanting to be in on the huge, shocking discovery Bella had made.

"Edward, I need you to not freak out, okay?" I nodded nervously. "Remember when we first played never have I ever together? It was in your apartment right after our first practice…"

"Yeah, I remember, Bel. What does that have to—" And then it clicked. Leah. That was the girl that Bella had been naked with in the hot tub in Tijuana. Fuck. That's hot. "I am NOT mad," I laughed, "but…can we get a repeat performance?"

Bella slapped my arm, but I just laughed, pulling her into my side to kiss the top of her head.

"So, when did you guys figure that all out? Can we hear the unedited version of how you met now?"

"Okay, it may have happened a little differently than how I previously explained it," Leah blushed. She went on to explain that the fall after they went to Tijuana, she had joined the cheerleading team—it was then that she recognized Jake from their Spring Break escapades. She wasn't sure at first, so she didn't say anything, but she figured it out when Jake had gone to visit his best friend, Bella, in Seattle earlier this fall.

"I had NO idea when I first went out with Leah that you two had hooked up," Jake laughed. "That was only an added benefit…" Both girls smacked him for that one.

I watched on with amusement as Leah and Bella rehashed the past few years that they needed to catch up on. Jake kept his hand intertwined with Leah's the entire time, looking down and smiling at her often.

Relieved that Jake was really not harboring any feelings for Bella, I realized that I was ready to start the rest of my life with Bella (as my photo album had said). I could not wait until New Years. My proposal was going to be perfect.

**Chapter End Notes: Famous last words, right? What do you think? I live for your reviews.**

**Link to the ring: http://www(dot)georgianjewelry(dot)com/item/images/11402-leaves-lace-edwardian-diamond-platinum-ring**


	30. Chapter 30

**AN: Do you guys ever get tired of me saying how much I love you? Because I do. I really love you. Thanks to everyone who's reading this and a huge special thanks to everyone who reviews and continues to review. I can't believe I'm over 1,000 on this thing! I love hearing your thoughts :)**

**Also, a huge HELLO to all the new readers out there. You guys rock just as hard for catching up in the short amount of time that you all do. Honestly, you blow me away!**

**Okay, this is a HUGE chapter. LOTS happens, and I think it's my longest one to date. And...let's just say it's been a LONG time in the making. I've been planning this for MONTHS, and I was so excited to finally write it that I'm getting it out to you earlier than I thought I would. Yay!**

**ONWARDS!**

EPOV

That fucking ring was going to be the death of me. Upon returning from Forks, I was so fully aware of it sitting in my drawer that sometimes I'd just open up the drawer to check on it. I couldn't wait to propose to her, but with each passing day I was getting progressively more nervous. I didn't tell ANYONE that I was even in possession of a ring, hoping to avoid scrutiny and disappointment with my lackluster proposal plans.

_Did you say 'plan'? Yeah, you haven't done that at all…_

To be fair, Bella and I weren't the most conventional of couples. We usually did everything in the wrong order—not that that was a bad thing. It worked for us. I figured that if I tried to create a spectacular proposal it would seriously backfire (because such is my life), so I was being relatively casual about it…well, as casual as a proposal can be.

I tapped my feet with the rhythm running through my head; I was singing through our New Years set in order to keep my mind of off the ring that was now OUT of the drawer and inside my jacket pocket. We had decided that since it was New Years Eve, we would all dress up a little bit. Ha, dressing up for me was putting a blazer (courtesy of Alice) over my usual black t-shirt and jeans. Of course, my attempts at distraction were completely futile. Every five seconds I would tap my jacket pocket just to make sure it was still there.

"Sup, bro?" Emmett was finally ready. I was hoping he would have some success in distracting me while I waited for Bella. She had (for some reason unbeknownst to me) given Alice permission to dress her for our gig tonight. Needless to say, I had been waiting for HOURS for them to finish, and I wasn't getting any LESS nervous.

Emmett sat down across from me, taking a sip of beer before offering the can to me. "Thanks," I nodded before gulping half of it down.

"Whoa, there, Eddie. You okay?" he laughed. "Nervous about our last gig at the bar?"

"Something like that…" I trailed off, touching the ring again without thought.

Emmett cocked his head slightly, his eyes following my hand to my pocket and then back to my lap. His eyes widened before he darted off the couch, quickly grabbing my hand and dragging me into his room, slamming the door behind us.

"Emmett, what the fuck?" I growled, annoyed at his forcefulness.

"Let's see it, Edward," he said, eyes narrowed and palm face up.

_Argh. Oh well. I guess it's time to tell someone._

_That could be okay, though, right? Maybe he could even help? ...Like a wingman to a proposal?_

_Shit, I'm SO out of my element._

With reluctance, I pulled the ring from my pocket and laid it on Emmett's palm. He cursed quietly under his breath before looking at me with the widest grin I've ever seen.

"This is an engagement ring, Edward."

"Why don't you say that louder, Emmett—I don't think Bella heard you that time—"

"Edward, relax," he laughed, handing the ring back to me. I immediately put it back into my pocket and breathed a sigh of relief. "Don't get your panties in a bunch, dude, I'm fucking happy for you." I finally cracked a smile in return. Maybe Emmett was the perfect person to tell about this.

"Thanks, Em. I'm just…nervous."

"Yeah, I gathered as much," he chuckled, placing both his hands on my shoulders. "But you'll be fine. She's going to say 'yes.'"

"You don't know that…" I was psyching myself out again.

"I really do, Edward. Seriously, don't worry. Have a great New Years Eve. Play the shit out of our set. And then go get your girl. If you need any assistance, I'll be there all night."

Suddenly, Emmett's door swung open, our little sister standing in the doorway in all her made-up glory. "What are you two gossiping about?" she asked, perplexed.

"You," I laughed, throwing an arm around her. "You look beautiful, by the way," I smiled. _Maybe if I lay on the charm thick she'll forget to continue to question us_. Also, it was worth mentioning. She did look beautiful. Alice had an uncanny way of standing out in a crowd, despite her minute stature. She was wearing a bright red dress with ridiculously high heels that were far too sexy to be worn by my sister (shudder) and matching red lipstick, of course. She certainly knew how to make a statement.

"Why thank you, dear brother. But you just wait. Your girlfriend looks about a hundred times as hot as me," she pouted.

"That's a lie," Bella smirked as she walked up beside Alice. Nope, Alice was right. There was nothing more gorgeous than Bella in that moment. Her dress was tight as SIN, showing every beautiful curve of her body, ending midway down her thigh. It was white (go figure…foreshadowing, anyone?), and I was almost 100% positive that she wasn't wearing anything underneath it. To top it all of, she was wearing the same shoes as Alice, so I could fully appreciate them properly without being a creepy fucker.

I said a quick thank you to the shoe gods and then continued my appraisal, finally focusing on her face. Her hair was curled into perfect waves, pulled back on one side, so it wasn't falling into her eyes. _Gah, her eyes!_ They were dark and smoky, and I wanted nothing more than to ravage her right there. Thank God Emmett was there to interrupt _that_ train of thought.

"Hey, you guys have matching shoes," he said, pointing between them.

Bella scowled while Alice giggled. "Yeah, I know. Apparently Alice didn't think that decorating our apartment was enough of a Christmas present for me," Bella complained, finally walking over to me so I could wrap my arms around her waist. She pressed back into me as Alice explained with great enthusiasm (like we cared) that she had found the Christian Louboutin platform pumps on sale for $350 each while they're usually $700, so she couldn't resist, and blah, blah, blah.

I tuned her out until her breath ran out.

"Okay, time to go, people," I cut in, hoping that Alice didn't need to rattle off the information about Bella's dress now. "You DO look stunning, by the way." I leaned down and kissed her temple. She blushed as if on cue and shivered slightly before tilting her head up to meet my lips in a short but heated kiss.

"You clean up pretty nice, too. Think I could cash in on my Christmas present tonight?" she asked, her voice low and sultry, before turning around and tugging at the lapels of my jacket. My breath caught. I could feel the ring shift in the pocket as she straightened out the jacket. I made a silent prayer that she wouldn't accidentally find it before I had a chance to give it to her.

_Wow, you REALLY should have planned this better. _

_Knowing you and Bella, there's a good chance that your jacket will come off before you even make it to the bar._

"I'm SO going to regret asking this," I paused, looking at the heat simmering in her eyes, "but…what were you planning as your fantasy? Is it the kind where I don't need to be warned of anything, and it can just happen?"

"Um, yeah?" she asked, completely confused.

"Well, for mine…we need props," I smirked. She moaned, leaning further into my chest.

"Ugh, no fair, Edward." She paused and then smiled devilishly, leaning in to whisper in my ear. "What if I told you that my fantasy was to be with Rosalie while you watched."

My jaw dropped, my mouth becoming completely dry as I looked at her in shock. I studied her twitching mouth for another second before it became clear that she was just fucking with me. _Fucking cock tease._

"Isabella Swan, that was NOT very nice," I growled.

"Turnabout is fair play. I'll tell you mine if you tell me yours," she whispered, turning on the seductress again.

I lowered my head, bringing my nose close to hers, allowing the heat of my breath warm her cheek. "I've been a VERY bad boy, Isabella. I want you to punish me. Make me your slave. Handcuff me, gag me, whip me, tie me up…anything you want. You already own me…we'd just be making it official." She flushed, and I could feel the heat from her blush radiate through the thin fabric of her dress. I looked down to see not only her beautiful blush but also her erect nipples. _Mm, if only there was enough time for that…_ "What about you, Bel? What do you want from me?"

She took a deep, calming breath, steadying her voice before telling me her deepest desires. "I want to be seduced by Edward." I cocked my eyebrow. _Wasn't I already Edward?_ She began to clarify, "The old Edward—the cheating, philandering asshole, Edward. Knowing that you just want to use me and throw me away…we'll be nothing more than a beautiful stranger and a willing body. A VERY willing body," she breathed.

It was cruel and unusual punishment, getting us as turned on as we were without any finish in sight, but at least it was doing a good job of distracting me from proposing.

_And now it's back…fuck. You suck at this!_

"Come on, Bella, you devil child. We'll explore those later, but for now we have a show to put on," I grumbled.

She stepped back, allowing me to compose myself and regroup. We really DID have a set to make it through. Then I could worry about proposing.

_Good pep talk._

***

As I walked out onto the stage, I realized how far my life was from what I thought it was going to be. I had started referring to myself as "Old Edward" and "New Edward." Even our set tonight defined how I had changed since I had met Bella. For one, I let the rest of the band have some say as to the songs we decided to play…that would have NEVER happened pre-Bella. I couldn't help but compare this last gig with our first one.

Our first gig was amazing, but I had refused to relinquish most of the control. Every song defined who I was BEFORE I met Bella. I was kind of a terrible, horrible person, who admired the fact that he could sleep with several girls in the same night, blowing each and every one off with little feeling merely minutes later. I couldn't even remotely fathom doing that now, though.

Honestly, Bella chose most of the songs in our set for tonight; I had learned to give her free reign…she really knew what she was doing when it came to performing. In fact, we started off the set with one of Bella's favorite songs.

**Feeling Good – Muse**

This song was originally written in 1965 for a musical called "The Roar of the Greasepaint—the Smell of the Crowd," which I learned thanks to my resident musical theater lover. It had been covered over the years by the likes of Sammy Davis Jr., Nina Simone, Michael Buble, and even the Pussycat Dolls, but…there was nothing quite like the Muse cover. It had a certain sexy swagger to it that was undeniably attractive (Bella had added it to our soundtrack for that particular reason).

As I watched Bella sway her hips with the lyrics, I couldn't help but gulp at the relevance they held with my night.

_It's a new dawn, it's a new day, it's a new life…and I'm feeling good._

Bella came into my life like a lightening storm, blinding and incapacitating me. While I may have been terrified at first, not knowing how to deal with the immense power this tiny person held over me, I smirked at how truly good I felt now.

**Dance To The Underground – Radio 4**

Shock of all shocks…we decided that Jasper was going to sing this song. It was very bass heavy, which would put him front and center anyway, plus anyone could see that he loved the song more than any other.

New Edward enjoyed seeing his friend take the spotlight. It WAS the last time we were all going to take the stage together, and it was probably the last time Jasper would EVER take the stage. I smiled as Jasper dug into the gritty beat of the bass line and grinned while Bella and I joined in on the appropriate background vocals.

**Just What I Need – Rufus King**

Laugh away, but putting this song on our set was actually MY idea. We knew that we wanted to have an over the top, fun set for New Years Eve, but everyone (including Bella) thought I was crazy to add this song to the playlist.

I came back to our apartment one afternoon to find Bella curled up on the couch watching _Bring It On_. When it got to the scene where Torrance dances on her bed, I couldn't help but sing along (I blame Alice for me knowing the words in the first place; her Kirsten Dunst phase was a REALLY traumatic time for me). It was silly, and it was a bit stupid, but I couldn't get the grin off my face as I sang through the verse.

_You got me feeling all those butterflies inside_

_In your locker I would hide, the truth it's only you I see_

_And you're just what I need_

As I continued singing the chorus, Bella tipped her head back and laughed loudly over my singing. I winked, letting her know that I meant every word I was singing. Especially the part about _"rolling in the hay."_ At least I hadn't changed THAT much.

**Take Me On The Floor – The Veronicas**

Another Bella choice, of course. The girl knew how to work a stage…and she did NOT disappoint on this song. I think she chose it mostly because she wanted to turn me on as much as possible in a public place (like she even needed to try that hard, ha!). Through the entire first verse, she ran her hands up the base of the microphone, making me shudder slightly, wishing those hands were wrapped around a _different_ base. As she began the second verse, I began my revenge. With each line, I moved closer, staring into her eyes as she attempted to keep her voice steady.

_My heart is racing as you're moving closer._

_You take me higher with every breath I take._

_Would it be wrong to stay?_

Wrong to stay? I don't think so, Bel. As I made my final step towards her, she flipped around to lean her back to mine, singing over her shoulder to me, pressing seductively into my hip and side.

_One look at you, and I know what you're thinking._

_Time's a bitch, and my heart is sinking down._

_You turn me inside out._

_Take me on the floor._

With Bella's seductive gyrating against my body, I was ready to skip a step and just take her on the stage, however, I wasn't sure how fully appreciated that would be. That would be an "Old Edward" move, I guess. I kept reminding myself how Bella had changed me; I could hold out until later. I mean, in six months, we would be on tour with this band. Wow. Yeah, I'd say my life had certainly changed.

**Everybody's Got Their Something – Nikka Costa**

Because I wasn't hard enough already, we had to add another song where Bella could flaunt her sinful body in front of me, just out my grasp…teasing me with each line. The song was so fucking sexy that it was ridiculous. It gave Bella this husky tone to her voice, making my cock strain painfully against my jeans, just waiting to be inside her (mmm, just hold onto that thought until afterwards). She sang each line with confidence, owning the stage and the audience's attention completely.

_People keeping score, say better hurry up and get yours_

_Cause somebody else get your spot before you even dropped_

_Seek and you shall find everything in my own sweet time_

_I'll take my chances with what I believe is only mine_

Seeing my current state (I'm sure I was PANTING), Bella sauntered over to my side of the stage again, rubbing her body against mine, wrapping her arms around my neck, bringing us closer and closer with each line. I was having trouble keeping the guitar steady in my hands…I could now see directly down her cleavage. I tried hard not to look, but Bella had other thoughts in mind. She tipped her head back and pulled on my neck slightly to align my lips with hers…mere centimeters away from touching. Then, out of NOWHERE, instead of singing the word "mine," Bella grabbed the back of my head and pulled my lips to hers in a forceful kiss.

She pulled back and jumped straight into the next verse, leaving me smiling like a crazy person. She winked and gave me a show of her wiggling hips in return. Yes. Mine, indeed.

**Patterns – Band Of Skulls**

Our last song of the night I found while browsing through the myspace friends of some of my favorite British bands (yeah, I'm a big loser…let's all laugh at Edward the music dork).

They were a really young band (only formed in 2008), but they already had a really distinct, unique sound with a major following. Something that I hoped Bella and I were able to do ourselves. They were definitely an inspiration, plus they sang about sex, drugs, and rock and roll…what wasn't to love?

_There's one for the money and two for the sin_

_And three for the tongue when authority kicks in._

Mm, tongue…authority…that reminded me of my Christmas present from Bella. God, I could not be more excited to be dominated by her, possibly bound and tied up with Bella in black leather? And I just gave myself a hard on by listening to lyrics. Because it wasn't bad enough before. Awesome.

Soon enough the set was over, and I was starting to realize the imminence of my proposal. I had nothing left to procrastinate with. Luckily, Bella saved me, giving some time to collect my thoughts (without even knowing she was doing so).

"Hey, Edward, I'm just going to mingle one last time. We don't have to stay very long…I know Em and Rose had their own plans for tonight…and I think Alice and Jasper might have already left. I'll be quick, okay?"

"Yeah, that's fine," I breathed, relieved I was going to get some alone time to prepare myself. "I'm just going to get a drink. Find me when you're done?"

She nodded, kissed me on the cheek, and ran off into the crowds. As soon as she made her way through the room, Bella was the gracious star already, posing with some drunken audience members who wanted pictures with her.

_Pictures already? This is only going to get worse when she becomes a superstar. You're in for a loooong road, buddy. Are you sure you're ready for this?_

_Oh, I'm ready. Got my ring in my pocket. I'll just get a drink, chill out, watch my girl do her thing, and then make her mine officially._

_All right!_

Surprised at the confidence of my inner voice, I made my way to the bar to grab a drink so Bella could continue her socializing. The bar was packed to the brim with sloppy drunks already. _Ugh. New Years Eve…more like Happy Night of Excessive Drinking._ I looked for Felix behind the bar, but he was serving a gaggle of half naked girls. Making my way to the other side of the bar, I saw that the only free bartender was Lauren.

_Fuck my life. Seriously?_

_Oh well…let's get this over with._

Lauren spotted me immediately and rushed over with a huge smile on her overly made up face.

"Hey there, Edward," she cooed, her voice sticky sweet. "Great show tonight."

"Uh, thanks," I replied uncomfortably, running a hand through my hair. "Can I get a Jack and Coke?"

"Of course," she winked, brushing her hand along my forearm, which was resting on the bar. "Are you sure there's nothing else I can get you?" I immediately pulled away, getting a scowl from Lauren in return. She huffed, turning away angrily to put my drink together.

_Such a fucking drama queen._

Lauren took FOREVER to come back with my drink. I stood, waiting patiently, chatting with a few drunken fans, most who came over to tell me how hot Bella was and how she looked like an awesome kisser. _Thanks, guys. Because I didn't know that…_ When I was starting to get really annoyed, Lauren FINALLY came back with my drink. I grabbed it, threw a ten down on the bar, and took a large gulp, cringing at the burn of the whiskey going down my throat.

"See you later, Edward," Lauren smiled again, making my stomach flip.

"No you won't," I muttered under my breath, making my way away from the bar. I took another large sip of my drink, letting the warmth of the alcohol calm my tense muscles. I felt shaky on my feet, as if the realization of everything was finally setting in. I looked at my watch. 11:30. Only 30 more minutes before I would ask Bella to be my wife.

Feeling a bit dizzy at that thought, I made my way over to sit on the edge of the stage to wait for Bella to finish up. I sat for a bit, trying to find Bella, but the room was so crowded with haze, heat, and sweat that I could barely see through it.

Just then, I felt a hand on my arm—and it wasn't the one that I wanted there. _Fucking Lauren. Will she never learn?_ It was so loud on the stage that I could barely hear her, but I knew I wasn't interested in anything she had to say.

"Come on…one night…remember what you like…know you want to…back room…"

_Was she seriously propositioning me? Did this girl have NO shame?_

Her hand slid up my neck, making me break out into goose bumps (but NOT the good kind). I tried to move away, but Lauren had some sort of kung fu grip on me; I was completely incapacitated.

I heard Emmett bellow a, "What the fuck is going on here?" and Bella's gasp before the room faded to darkness.

BPOV

"Hey, Em, have you seen Edward?" I yelled over the loud din of the bar. The New Years Eve crowd was a little more rowdy than I was used to, and I was definitely ready to head home. Edward and I had decided to keep our New Years Eve plans low key…perhaps watch the ball drop on TV and then maybe watch a movie? We had yet to decide. I loved that about us. We didn't need to make everything a big deal. Just to be with one another was enough.

"I saw him by the bar a while ago, but I lost him…oh, shit," Emmett grumbled.

"What?" I asked, following Emmett's narrowed eyes to the stage. Edward sat, swaying, visibly WASTED with Lauren trailing her fingers up his neck and into his hair.

_That is MY neck and hair, you fucking bitch!_

Without conscious or rational thought, my feet were dragging me across the room to stand directly in front of Lauren. I ripped her hand away from Edward, while he just sat there, swaying and scowling. I noticed the drink in Edward's hand and pried it away from him (he was clearly too drunk to be drinking anymore), handing it off to Emmett who was now beside me.

"Lauren, what the hell is going on?" I yelled angrily, my temper boiling out of control.

"I think it's pretty obvious, Bella. Looks like your boy has gotten bored with you finally," she smirked, running her hand up Edward's arm again. Edward had no reaction.

_Wait, Edward had no reaction? Something is NOT right._

"Emmett?" I turned to see Emmett sniffing the half empty drink in his hand. "Emmett?" I asked, now concerned as well as furious.

"Emmett, Emmett, Emmett…" Edward babbled to himself.

"Bella, this was definitely Edward's first drink. There's NO way he's as drunk as he is right now from just a Jack and coke…am I right, Lauren?" Emmett growled, grabbing Lauren's arm, yanking her up to a standing position.

It was then that it clicked.

"You roofied my boyfriend?" I screamed. _Oh, this was just perfect._ At least Lauren had the decency to look guilty for a second before she retaliated.

"Whatever, Bella. It was just a matter of time before he left you for someone else. I mean, it was so obvious that he wanted me…"

"Oh, yeah, he wanted you so bad that you had to DRUG him to sit long enough to have a conversation with you. You fucking whore! I'll kill you if anything happens to him! Get out of my sight before I call the cops!" I raged, throwing my hands up in the air, attempting to attack Lauren.

Emmett wrapped an arm around my waist, preventing me from launching myself at her, while she scurried off to God knows where.

_Good fucking riddance. We are SO never coming back here ever again._

"Bella, we need to get him home," Emmett said, pointing to Edward who was now admiring his hand in the light. "Can you go get Jasper for me?"

"Jasper and Alice left right after the set."

"Go get Rosalie, then. I think she was in the bathroom."

I ran into the ladies room, breathing heavily. I didn't even realize I was crying until I caught my reflection in the mirror, a long black line of mascara trailing down my cheek.

"Bella? Are you okay?" Rosalie wrapped her arms around me.

"We need to go," I said, sniffling softly, trying to put myself together. I grabbed her hand and led her back to the stage, where Emmett had finally gotten Edward into a standing position, with one of his arms around his shoulders.

"What happened?" Rosalie gasped.

"Lauren roofied him and then tried to seduce him. Who the hell buys roofies anyway? What is she, a fucking frat boy!" I yelled, becoming frantic again.

"Okay, calm down, Bella. We'll get him home. It's fine," Emmett smiled sympathetically as Rosalie propped herself underneath Edward's other side.

With all of our combined efforts, we were able to get Edward into the car and back into our apartment. Getting him up the stairs was quite the challenge, and he kept babbling about nonsense the entire time…something about my dress being the prettiest, but he wanted to see me in a longer one? I was exhausted trying to keep track of his mumbling, so I just tuned him out, finally resting him on our bed.

"Emmett," I asked, my voice cracking, "can you help me change him? He's too heavy to do it on my own."

"I'll wait out in the living room," Rosalie sighed, leaving Emmett and I alone with Edward, who seemed to be becoming more coherent.

"Bella?" he asked, reaching out for me.

"Yeah, bunny?" I asked, pushing his hair out of his face to look into his eyes. He was clearly still under the influence of whatever drug Lauren had slipped him, but we had stopped him from drinking the majority of the drink…making it seem like he was just incredibly intoxicated.

"I love you," he smiled, eyes twinkling.

"I know," I laughed, kissing his forehead before starting to push his jacket off of his arms.

Suddenly he pushed me back, leaving me flat on my ass in the middle of the floor, and pulled the jacket back on. "NO!" he yelled.

"No, what?" I asked, completely baffled by Edward's actions. I looked to Emmett, whose faced looked shocked and appalled all at the same time as he pulled me back upright.

"Noooo, you can't take my jaaacket, Bella!" Edward whined like a small child. I tried to push it off again, but he was adamant.

_Ugh, I hate fighting with drunk people. They're always so fucking stubborn._

"Edward, I need to take your jacket," I explained. "You can't sleep in it. That wouldn't be very comfortable…" I tried pushing the jacket from his shoulders again, but he tensed and whipped his head around to Emmett.

"Em, she can't taaake it! She caaan't taaake it!" Edward was yelling, his hands thrashing around in the air.

I took that opportunity to push the jacket all the way off of his shoulders, removing one flailing arm at a time. Finally, I got the jacket off all the way and tucked it into a ball, ready to throw it into our laundry basket when Emmett lunged towards me.

"No!" he cried, grimacing as he took his step forward.

I was completely confused as to what was going on. Emmett was in motion, while Edward sat completely still on our bed, his hands pulling at his hair as he sighed loudly, slouching in defeat. Nothing made sense until I heard a small _clink_ on the ground.

I took a small step back to pick up whatever had fallen out of the jacket pocket and almost fell the FUCK over. Sitting in the middle of our bedroom floor was the most gorgeous diamond ring I had ever seen. I picked it up and lay it on my palm, my breathing picking up infinitely as I realized what Edward had been planning to do tonight.

_Oh my God. OH. MY. GOD!!!_

"Emmett?" I gasped, my eyes locking with Emmett's concerned ones.

"Yeah, uhm…"

"This is…is…is this what I think it is?" I choked, tears streaming down my cheeks again. Emmett nodded solemnly with a hint of a smile tugging at the corners of his mouth as Rosalie ran in.

Edward had planned on proposing.

"What is with all the screaming, you guys, and oh my God is that an engagement ring?" Rosalie asked, excitement lighting up her delicate features.

I gulped and nodded, my voice completely incapable of working, as Rosalie held my palm closer to the light to examine the ring.

"Edward proposed while roofied?" she laughed. "That's so typically Edward."

"I found it," I whispered. Rosalie raised her eyebrow. "In his jacket pocket," I groaned, starting to tear up again.

"I don't feel good," Edward moaned before stumbling off the bed and into the bathroom, the sounds of his heaving echoing off the porcelain of the toilet bowl. _Ugh. Way to bring in the New Year with a bang, Edward. You never do anything small, do you?_

I placed the ring down on our dresser, sighing loudly. Taking a moment to calm myself, I pressed my palms to my eyes, willing my tears to stop. Edward hadn't meant for this to happen this way. And I refused to let Lauren ruin what should have been one of the happiest moments of my life.

"Don't be sad, Bella," Emmett whispered, wrapping his arms around me, making me feel safe and warm in his comforting embrace. "We can stay here and help—"

"No," I interrupted, looking up at Emmett's face. "It's already after midnight…you guys should go home and celebrate the New Year." They both looked skeptical. "Honestly," I pushed. "We'll be fine."

As if on cue, Edward vomited loudly in the bathroom.

"Really," I said, forcing a smile.

"Call if you need anything," Emmett whispered, squeezing me tightly again. "And congratulations," he winked.

"What makes you think I'm saying 'yes' after all of this?" I laughed, attempting to make light of the situation.

"Oh, please," Rosalie smirked, rolling her eyes, "you would have said 'yes' after that first week. I can't wait to tell Alice!" She paused. "Another $200 in the bank, thank you very much…"

I gasped. "More bets? What now?"

"I bet that you'd be engaged before you started recording your album. Looks like I won," she smiled.

I took the ring in my hand and cocked my head, imagining it on my finger. There was no way I was going to put it on without Edward's complete knowledge and approval…that'd be weird and slightly wrong. But I couldn't help but smile widely at the thought of "being engaged" to Edward.

"So, like I said…congratulations," Emmett smiled from the doorway. "Night, Bella."

After they left, I made my way to the bathroom, where Edward had passed out, his head still over the toilet. It looked like he was all puked out, but I wasn't completely sure…and I wasn't going to risk it and put him back to bed if he was going to start up again. Grasping the ring in my fist, I curled up on the bath mat and fell into a happy (albeit uncomfortable) slumber.

EPOV

_Ouch. Something fucking hurts. And I think it's my head._

I cracked open my eyes and cringed at the glaring light, my head throbbing in agony.

_Yup. Definitely your head._

I felt Bella's cool hand rake through my hair, lightly scratching my scalp, and sighed in relief.

"Edward," she whispered, "do you think you can make it back to the bed?"

_Back to the bed? Where the fuck am I?_

I shifted to my side, my joints aching with every slight movement. I tried to lift my head, but it hurt so fucking much, that I just laid it on the cool tile beneath my cheek in defeat.

"No…" Her scratching continued, making me relax back into the floor, succumbing to sleep once again.

I awoke a second time, feeling slightly less shitty, but much more achy. Bella's hand still ran through my hair as she sang soft strains of "Naked As We Came" by Iron & Wine. The theme of the song was "eyes wide open," so I decided to follow the lyrics and tentatively opened my eyes.

Bella sat in front of me on the bathroom floor, still in her dress from last night, looking completely disheveled. I could see the tear tracks left by her eye makeup trailing down her cheeks and over her chin.

_No, seriously. What the FUCK happened last night?_

_Oh. Oh no. The proposal. Please tell me I didn't propose to her. Fuck. I suck at life._

_Yup._

I groaned as I pushed myself up into sitting position, leaning against the wall for support. This was a mess. I felt like a sledgehammer had hit my head. As I relaxed into the wall, Bella crawled over to me, coming to stop in between my legs. She smiled and kissed my forehead softly.

"Bella, what the fuck happened last night?" I asked. I had to know. I had one drink at the bar, and I completely blacked out. If that's not suspicious, I don't know what is. Taking an inventory of myself, I realized I was no longer wearing my jacket. _Fuck. _ "Bel, where's my jacket?"

Bella smiled and leaned in to kiss my lips gently. The kiss had so much tenderness and care to it, it took me off guard. "Did you know that you got up in the middle of the night and drank an entire glass of Listerine?" she laughed. "You didn't spit it out or anything. And you didn't throw it up either, so…if you pee blue today, that's why."

"I did what?"

Bella's forehead crinkled as she frowned, pushing my hair back again. "Lauren drugged you last night," she sighed. I was about to protest, the infuriated yelling on the tip of my tongue, but Bella continued in hushed tones. "Emmett and I found you about halfway through your drink, so she didn't get the chance to do any real damage. And I nearly ripped out her throat for even trying to take advantage of you like that." She shuddered. "But, thankfully Emmett and Rosalie helped me get you home. You yelled at me for a little bit and then you threw up until you passed out on the toilet."

"I yelled at you? What the fuck. Why? I'm so sorry I ruined your New Years Eve. You didn't have to stay in here with me, Bel." She really didn't. I was absolutely positive that she couldn't have gotten any real sleep.

"You didn't ruin anything, Edward. And as for staying with you, I may not have _had_ to stay in here, but I wanted to," Bella smiled, putting a fist up to my chest. Worry crossed her face for a brief second before it smoothed out.

_What was that look about?_

Bella dragged her fist down my chest until it lay resting in my lap. She opened her fist and my heart sank.

"Shit."

"I'm sorry," she sighed, putting the ring into my hand. _Wait, putting the ring into my hand? Is she saying no? Did I just get rejected?_

My breathing picked up as my eyes flashed to her face. I could feel the nausea building in the pit of my stomach, and all I wanted to do was disappear into the floor. I couldn't imagine feeling any more humiliated or heartbroken than in that single second. It was as if the world around me came crashing down. I stared at the ring in my hand and clamped my fist around it, hoping that maybe if I squeezed hard enough, it would disintegrate into my palm.

"Bunny?" Bella asked, grabbing my face to look into my eyes. "Why do you look like that?" Her voice started sounding panicky, too. "I'm really sorry that I found it, but I was taking off your jacket and you were yelling at me not to take it off, and I was just completely shocked. I didn't know it was in there! I didn't mean to ruin your proposal. I didn't even put it on or anything," she rambled, looking more and more concerned with each frantic statement.

_Wait…she thinks you're mad at her. For finding the ring. She's not saying no. She's giving it back for YOU to give it to her. _

_Holy fuck. Holy shit. Get back in there! Stop procrastinating. This is it!_

"You still want me to propose?" I croaked, my dry throat making a weird wheezing noise. _Ugh. Roofies do NOT do the body good._

"Yes! Unless…" Bella's eyes went wide as she blushed a beautiful shade of pink, "do you not want to propose anymore?"

_What? May day! May day!_

"Of course I do, Bella," I laughed, smiling for the first time all morning. "I just didn't think it'd be on the floor of the bathroom after a night of puking my guts out thanks to a Rohypnol laced cocktail from my crazy ex-hookup. It just doesn't seem like the right way…"

"Since when have we done ANYTHING the right way?" Bella interrupted, scooting closer. "We were in a fully committed relationship before either of us even told the other we had feelings for each other," she smiled, her thumb stroking my cheek softly.

"So, we're really doing this?" I asked, holding the ring up in between us. Her eyes darted to the ring and back up to my eyes. I could see tears forming, but the rich brown eyes behind them lit up. Bella bit her lip and nodded, allowing a tear to spill over onto her cheek.

_God, she's beautiful. You're a lucky bastard._

_I know that. Thank you._

I smiled her favorite crooked grin, making her smile in return and took a deep breath.

"Bella Swan," I took a deep breath, calming myself as she bit into her bottom lip. "I have been in love with you since the second you walked into that audition. And I love you more and more every day. You once told me that your favorite part of proposals was when the guy lists everything he loves about the girl. Well," I cleared my throat, willing myself to continue, "if I listed everything I loved about you, we'd be here for a while, so…I picked a few." She giggled, tears still spilling over her cheeks and onto the tile floor. "I love that you know just as much about music as I do. I love that you let me sleep in until noon and never complain about it. I love that you're my best friend. No one has ever put up with my shit quite like you. And I love that you're the only girl who's even been in my bed, and hopefully you'll always hold that title."

"You have quite the way with words, Edward Cullen," she sniffed, smiling widely.

"Way to interrupt, Bel," I laughed. She held up her hands in mock apology and gestured for me to continue. "Bella, will you marry me?"

"Yes, yes, yes!" she cried, throwing her arms around my neck, crushing her lips to mine, effectively thrusting my head back into the wall. It hurt like a motherfucking bitch, but I just smiled and kissed her back. I wasn't going to let a little (okay, a lot of) residual hangover pain ruin Bella's acceptance of my bathroom floor proposal. _*Snorts* You're such a douche for that one._

She pulled back after kissing my lips softly two more times. "You're positive about this? I've been told I'm kind of an ass," I smirked, rubbing the back of my head, pretending to be pensive.

Bella snorted and rolled her eyes, mocking my candor. "True," she said looking thoughtful, "but you're MY ass. And I want to keep you forever, so…" She held out her hand, smiling shyly.

I cupped her hand in mine and slowly pushed on the ring. It looked perfect on her finger, just like I knew it would. I could feel my cock growing hard in my pants just looking at it sparkling in the morning sunlight. Bella's entire face lit up, and I could literally see her glowing.

Gathering all of my strength, I stood up, pulling Bella with me. I ran my hands down the back of her dress to rest underneath her ass as she smirked up at me.

_She said_ _yes, Cullen. She said yes!_

I pushed her hips into mine, letting her feel my newly acquired erection. I pressed my lips to hers and held onto her body for dear life. I could have stayed kissing her forever. Her lips burned against mine, pressing harder with each kiss. She wrapped her arms around my neck, allowing me to pick her up and walk us to the bed, lips still joined.

My lungs ached for air, but I refused to break our connection. I forced myself to trail kisses down her neck, panting slightly as I went. I released her legs from my grip and let her steady herself on the ground. Within seconds, our clothing was gone, and I was hovering over her naked body on our soft comforter.

I pressed another searing kiss to her lips as my hand started to wander, exploring her soft, warm skin. Her nipples hardened as I brushed my palm over them, as she released the softest squeak.

"I can't believe we're getting married," she laughed, looking into my eyes. "You know we're going to have to come up with another story about your proposal to tell people, right?" she breathed.

"Mmhmm," I agreed into her luscious breasts, nuzzling my nose and lips into her cleavage as I ran my hands down to her hips, positioning her legs to make enough room for me. Bella continued to make the sweetest little noises as my hands and mouth covered every inch of her body. As I made my way back up to her neck, I felt her hands pull at my hair, making me freeze.

She propped herself up on her elbows, staring at me intensely, making me shiver. "Edward?" she began seriously. I locked my eyes on hers, waiting patiently for her next words. "I love you," she smiled, grabbing my hair again to meet her in a slow, wet kiss. Her tongue sneaked into my mouth as I smiled at her words, melding with mine in a leisurely dance.

I broke our kiss as she moved one of her hands from my hair to stroke the tip of my cock. "I love you, too," I gasped, hanging my head, unable to hold it up for the moment. I still really fucking hurt. I groaned and Bella cocked her head, looking confused.

"I can't hold myself up like this," I laughed. "I hurt too much…everywhere."

"Poor, baby," she pouted, taking the initiative, rolling us over, Bella straddling my thighs as I propped myself up against the headboard, leaning back into it for support. "Better?" she smirked, grabbing my cock. It jumped in her hands and I groaned, my mouth hanging open, wanting to respond but completely unable to.

She gripped me harder, positioning me right in front of her soaked entrance. We both groaned as she slowly sank down on my waiting cock, our eyes locked in a fiery gaze. Heat enveloped me from every direction as her thighs squeezed around my own, pulling me tighter. I pushed deeper into her, not wanting to move and explode so quickly. I was in serious danger of losing it before we even got started…that's how intense our connection was.

She raised herself up again, before steadying herself onto my lap, placing her hands around my neck, bringing her chest closer to mine and sinking down again on my throbbing erection. My hands caressed her thighs, which flexed with each rocking motion of her hips. She rocked gently (which I thanked her for, completely unable to do any real work), slowly bringing us to our climaxes. The closer I got, the closer I needed to be to her. I thrust my hips upwards as Bella ground her hips down into mine simultaneously. I placed slow, open-mouthed kisses to her shoulders and chest, licking up the beads of sweat forming on her heated skin.

"Yes, Edward," she moaned loudly, her movements becoming faster and choppier.

"Oh God, Bella," I breathed in return. "So good…" I panted as her mouth latched onto my jaw, nipping and biting gently, making me harden exponentially. _Is that even possible? …Apparently._

Her hands moved from my shoulder to rest on my chest so she could sink herself lower onto my dick. I looked down and was momentarily distracted by the ring on her finger. I couldn't help but grab it and pull it down to rest on the comforter to interlace with mine, fingering the ring slowly. I was so ready to explode; my climax loomed close by, waiting to take me over. Needing to bring Bella with me, my other hand traveled quickly to her swollen clit, spreading the wetness that had gathered there over the tiny bundle of nerves over and over.

We both climaxed together, sighing one another's names as we collapsed back onto the bed. Bringing our still interlocked hands to rest between us, I leaned in to kiss her ring. It looked so good there. She smiled and pressed her lips to mine again, letting me finger the ring, caressing it softly as she drifted into peaceful slumber.

We may not have had the most conventional of proposals, but clearly that didn't mean much to either of us. I had never been this happy. Ever. We could come up with a story to tell everyone else later. For now, I was content to spend the day in bed with my beautiful fiancée.

**Chapter End Notes: Did you see their engagement happening that way? Please...it's Bella and Edward...things NEVER go as planned. Good thing they're adaptable, right? How were you proposed to/what's your dream proposal? I DO love when a guy lists all the things he loves about the girl. I think it's the sweetest...even if it happens on a bathroom floor ;)**

**Okay, only one or two more chapters (depending on how much I can fit into one chapter) then an epilogue. It's been real. I love you guys too much.**

**Edward's proposal of your choosing for reviews....**


	31. Chapter 31

**AN: Wow. You guys have the most uncoventional proposals...and I LOVE it! All of your responses made me smile and aww in all the right places. I'm glad you guys loved Edward and Bella's proposal, too.**

**Okay. I couldn't fit in all I wanted into this chapter, so...YAY...you get one more. But, sadly, that's it. Only one more and then an epilogue. No sequel is planned as of right now.**

**I do already have a second story in the works, though. So...if you have enjoyed this story and want to keep reading things that I write (which, hopefully you do), keep an eye out for it after this thing finishes up.**

**Also, I'm now beta-ing a story for il-bel-mondo called "The Silver Tongue," which is fairly hilarious. If you have a second, you should definitely check it out :)**

**All right. Long author's note, yes. Sorry for that--I'm just prepping to say goodbye to this story. It's harder than I thought it would be. Love to you all. Hope you enjoy :)**

BPOV

I awoke to a comfortable and sated body enveloped by a peaceful warmth…with the exception of my hand. My hand was tingling. During the course of my slumber, I had rolled almost directly on top of Edward, my leg thrown over his hip so I could feel his erection pressed firmly against my thigh. The corners of my mouth turned up as I realized the tingling feeling on my hand was a result of Edward's lips pressing against each of my fingers one by one.

"I know you're awake, Miss Swan," Edward mumbled against my fingers, pushing my hair away from my eyes making me smile in return.

I opened them slowly and almost gasped at what I saw in front of me. Edward's hand, which was still intertwined with mine, lay on the pillow in between us. With his lips still attached to my ring finger, he peered up at me through the thick, dark fringe of his lashes, the green of his irises so dark that they looked like the murky depths of the Puget Sound. I laughed at the ridiculousness of thought, my giggling bringing us both out of our intense eye lock.

"You know, I won't be Miss Swan for much longer," I smiled, wiggling my fingers underneath his lips, my stomach churning with excitement at the notion of finally being his. He broke into a huge, mega-watt smile, his cock twitching against my thigh. "Oh, you like that, don't you, Mr. Cullen?" I goaded, rolling my hips to give him some obviously needed friction.

"You have no idea," he groaned, positioning himself at my already wet entrance. _Yes, I do_, I thought, arching my back in anticipation. Just as he was about to push into me, we were interrupted by a loud _knock_ at the front door.

I sighed loudly, pushing myself away from him.

"No…" he pouted, grabbing my waist, pulling me towards him again. "If we ignore it, maybe it will go away…"

"_It_ can hear you!" Alice shouted annoyed from the front door. I could practically see her stomping her foot with impatience.

"She has like bionic hearing or something. That shit is scary," Edward shuddered in jest, pulling me closer to lay a soft kiss on my bare shoulder.

"At least she doesn't have a key, though—"

"Put on some clothes and get the hell out here, you two! I'm freezing!" It seemed like we were going to be eternally cock blocked.

Edward pressed a chaste kiss to my lips before throwing the covers back and rolling out of bed. His eyes lingered on my exposed body for a few prolonged seconds, and I could feel the heat rushing back to my core (I don't know what it was about his ogling, but it made EVERYTHING tingle). I rubbed my thighs together, hoping to alleviate some of the pressure, making Edward laugh full out.

"I'll make it up to you later," he whispered, kissing my forehead softly.

"You better," I grumbled, throwing my hair up in a messy ponytail and reaching for some jeans and a sweater. Turning around, I sighed, watching in awe as Edward put on his clothes. How did even the most mundane of activities make his seem like a sex God?

"Um, Bel, can you get the door?" Edward was having some trouble getting rid of his, uh…problem with me staring at him, so he pushed me out of the room to open the door for Alice. I answered the door flushed, giggling and most likely reeking of sex, but I couldn't have cared less.

"Hey, Alice," I started before noticing the crowd of people behind her. "Everyone," I added, gesturing them all into the apartment. "What are you all doing here?"

"It's family tradition to go out for a big lunch on New Years Day," Alice rambled. "Why am I not surprised that Edward forgot ALL about it…"

As Emmett walked in, he pulled me into a large embrace, leaning down to whisper in my ear.

"Did you manage okay last night?" I nodded. "Rose and I promised not to tell anyone what happened, you know, in case you weren't going to tell people…"

"It's okay. We managed," I smiled, squeezing Emmett's hand. His face froze, his eyes widening as he felt the ring around my finger.

"I'll say," he smirked, lifting my hand into the air in between us. "Edward, get your engaged ass out here!" Emmett shouted at the same time as Alice's screech pierced through the apartment.

"Jesus titty fucking Christ, Bella! That's my Grandma Cullen's ring!" Alice grabbed my hand, streaking across the room like the speeding bullet.

"It is?" I gaped. I knew the ring was antique-looking, but to have it confirmed that it was actually an antique… _Holy shit, I wonder how much money this thing is worth? Oh God. I'm going to do something clumsy and stupid and break the Cullen family's priceless family heirloom. Why would they give something this nice to me? Eee…panic!_

"Edward didn't tell you?"

"Um…after it happened, there wasn't much talking involved," I blushed as Jasper snorted, trying to contain his laughter.

"I'd imagine not…" he smiled, eyes twinkling with obvious happiness for us.

Alice stomped her foot in fury, screaming, "Edward," disapprovingly before pulling Emmett with her into my bedroom, most likely to reprimand Edward for not giving me the "perfect proposal." _Oh, if only she knew. Ha._

Just then, I felt a hand slip into mine and pull me towards the couch.

"Tell me everything!" Rose gushed, fingering the ring on my finger as Edward had done just a few hours ago. I blushed at the thought, and Jasper (being Jasper) noticed and finally let his laughter out.

"Well, not EVERYTHING," Jasper smirked.

"Jasper, do I need to ask you to leave?"

"No, I'll be good. I promise. I want to know how it happened, too. I mean, fuck, I didn't even know Carlisle had given him the ring…" he trailed off, "Damn, I wonder how long he's had it?"

"I don't know…I didn't even think about that…"

"Oh my God, stop distracting her!" Rosalie hit Jasper's head, and returned all of her attention to me again.

I debated for a second what I should tell her. Alice would freak out if she knew the whole story, but…in retrospect, it was kind of hilarious.

Sighing loudly, I launched into the real story, giving Rosalie and Jasper an animated recounting of the tale.

"Okay, well…it all started after the set. I walked away from Edward for like twenty minutes. Seriously, not even. And when I looked back, I found Lauren's grubby paws all over him." I scowled at that thought. I was definitely going to have to deal with Lauren-revenge in the near future. _Fucking skank_. "Anyway, she was all over him, and he wasn't responding…at all. Like, not pushing her away…just sitting there."

"What?" Jasper gasped.

"I know! So then Emmett starts sniffing his drink, and it took me a second, but we figured out that Lauren had slipped a roofie into his drink…you know, being the sweetheart that she is…"

"Wait, what about a roofie?" Alice called, running back out to the living room.

_Oops. I forgot about Alice's super strength hearing._

"Um, yeah…" Edward grimaced, tugging at his hair in an act of obvious discomfort. "I thought we were going to tell them a different story, Bel…"

I made a face. "Sorry. It was Rosalie's fault," I said pointing to Rose, who was just laughing on the couch, her hand still twirling the ring on my finger.

"Okay, fine—blame it on me. Now finish the story! I was around for that part…now I need to know the END of the story. How did that ring end up on your finger, Bella?"

I rolled my eyes as everyone took a seat, waiting anxiously for me to continue.

_Yay story time!_

I continued telling them the story in explicit detail, not leaving anything out. Their reactions were funnier than the story, though. The best response was Alice's "Shut the fuck up!" to the ring falling out of Edward's jacket pocket, and Emmett's vivid recounting of Edward's perfectly timed puking.

"Bella, you gave me the shortened version of this story this morning," Edward pouted, realizing that I'd kind of glossed over the finer details of the night.

"Sorry, bunny," I smiled, blowing him a kiss across the room. "And I hate to upstage you, Em, but…Edward's puking WASN'T the best part of the story." Emmett cocked his eyebrow as I broke out into a huge grin. "So, I decided to be the best girlfriend ever and sleep on the bathroom floor to make sure my boyfriend didn't die or anything, and I get woken up in the middle of the night to witness Edward drinking a glass of Listerine." The entire room broke out into muffled laughter. "And he didn't just sip at it either, he fucking downs it. And keeps it down…somehow…"

"Dude, that's disgusting!" Jasper guffawed. Edward simply punched his arm…hard.

"I was fucking drugged! You're going to make fun of me, seriously?"

"Ugh!" Rosalie grumbled. "Okay, so…Edward and Bella passed out for the night on the bathroom floor. You woke up the next morning. Then what?"

Edward and I shared a meaningful glance, wondering if I was truly going to divulge the details of our proposal. I saw the corner of Edward's mouth curve upwards and knew that I wanted to tell our friends how it really happened.

"Yeah. That's the entire story," I smiled.

"Wait, what?" Alice asked, completely confused.

"Edward woke up. I told him that he'd been roofied. Then I apologized for ruining his obviously planned proposal and gave him the ring back." I smiled, staring at my beautiful fiancé across the room and deduced that we were too far apart. My body craved his. I needed to be in his arms right now.

Our friends were completely silent as I extricated my hand from Rosalie's and made my way across the room to sit on Edward's lap.

"Wait, really? You guys got engaged on the bathroom floor?" Rosalie said, her mouth hanging in shock. I nodded, smiling happily as I ran my hands through Edward's especially crazy hair, bringing his face closer to mine. "That's adorable!" she squealed.

"Rosie, are you feeling okay?" Emmett joked. "Wouldn't you be really pissed if I proposed to you on a bathroom floor?"

"Um, yes," she snapped at Emmett. "Don't do that. But…it's Edward and Bella," she laughed. "It's so circular and perfect, I can't even get over it!"

And then…it hit me. my first kiss with Edward was the night of our FIRST gig…on a bathroom floor. Of course it would be fitting to get engaged the night of our LAST gig…on a bathroom floor. We really WERE adorable. Adorable by accident, but…adorable nonetheless.

I started giggling and couldn't help but lean in and start kissing Edward right in front of all of them. Our friends be damned. I just got engaged, and I wanted my fiancé's tongue in my mouth. Edward groaned in pleasure, his hands snaking into my hair to pull himself closer to me until Emmett cleared his throat noisily, bringing us back to the room.

"Bel, if you're going to start that again, we should probably kick them out," Edward laughed, his eyes locked on mine.

"Ugh, no. It's New Years Day. We're now late for lunch. Get your asses moving," Emmett recoiled. He was perfectly fine with Edward and I being together, but I knew that he still didn't feel positively about PDA of any kind really.

"Em, they just got engaged. Let them be exempt from lunch and let them celebrate," Alice smiled, her eyes shimmering with happiness. That look made me nervous.

"Really, Alice? You're going to let us stay here?" Edward raised his eyebrow skeptically. Alice nodded emphatically, making me even more nervous. Just then, I had a massive case of de ja vu as Esme's voice filled the room.

"Happy New Years, Edward!"

I burst out laughing realizing what Alice had done. Just like when Edward and I had finally "come out" to everyone about being in a relationship, Alice felt like an immediate confession to their parents was in order post-engagement, too, apparently.

"Alice, how the hell did you get my phone?"

"Edward?" Esme called, confused. Edward sighed, leaning us both towards the coffee table in the middle of the couches where his phone lay, his arms still wrapped around my waist.

"Yeah, hi, mom. Can you get dad? He may as well be here for this, too," Edward mumbled making me grin as he twirled the ring on my finger absentmindedly. I loved that subconscious habit already, and it'd been merely hours since the ring took up space on my hand.

"Edward? What's up?" Carlisle's voice was laced with concern. "Is everything all right?"

"Yeah, of course, Dad. Happy New Year…"

"Happy New Year, is everything—holy fucking shit, Edward, did you nab me that super hot daughter in law?" Carlisle shouted, interrupting himself.

I flushed and tucked my head into Edward's neck to stifle my giggling.

"Dad knew before me?" Emmett whined.

"No," Edward scoffed. "I actually stole the ring without Dad's permission…Come on, Em, who do you think gave it to me?"

The room went silent, waiting for one of us to say something until I heard Esme laughing in the background softly.

"We're on speakerphone again, aren't we?" she laughed. "Hi, everyone!"

"Hi, Esme!" Rosalie and I called out at the same time.

"Happy New Year, girls." There was another awkward pause. "So…"

"So, Edward proposed to Bella this morning," Emmett huffed, clearly still annoyed that Carlisle had been let in on the plan before him.

"Emmett, stop acting like a baby!" Rosalie scolded him, smacking his chest loudly.

"And?" I could hear Esme's smile through her voice. _God she's too cute for words. I'm going to have the best mother in law ever!_

"I told him I was waiting for Carlisle, of course." I heard Carlisle and Esme's raucous laughter over the line, making me laugh in return. Edward didn't seem to think I was so funny, though. He stood up slightly, threatening to throw me off of his lap, but I reached around his neck tightly placing kisses all over his adorably scrunched face. "Kidding, kidding, bunny. You're my only fiancé, I promise."

I felt bad for anyone in the surrounding apartments trying to sleep in because Esme's following scream was loud enough to wake up all of Seattle.

"AHHHHHHHHH! Bella, honey, I'm so excited! Have you set a date yet? Do you know where you want to have it? Are you going to wait until after the tour? How are you going to record an album and plan a wedding? Don't worry. I will help with ANYTHING you two need…"

"Uh…we haven't set a date yet, but don't worry about planning. It will be really simple. I have most of it planned out—" I trailed off, realizing that I hadn't discussed any of this with Edward.

"You've planned most of it?" Edward choked out.

"No," I flushed. _Stupid, Bella._ Edward smirked and pulled me tighter on his lap, bringing me closer to his prominent erection; both of us groaned quietly as we readjusted ourselves.

"Okay, I hate to be a party pooper, but Bella and I really need to go."

"But Edward, Bella and I—"

"You can call Bella later to talk about _plans_," Edward mocked.

"I'm calling Alice," Esme huffed. "Congratulations, you two!"

After hanging up the phone, Alice informed me that I had to call her the moment we had solidified any plans. And that we would be going dress shopping later in the week. I smiled and thanked her, not wanting to let on that I'd been secretly browsing wedding dresses on the internet for the past month.

_What? Is it so bad to be prepared? At least I know what I want…_

With everyone finally out of the apartment, I looked to Edward, whose body was surrounded in a faint haze of sunlight. It looked like the heavens had parted for him. My angelic fiancé. Ha, that was a laugh. I was most definitely ready to bring in the New Year with a bang and celebrate our engagement in definitely a less than angelic manner. Realizing we were FINALLY alone, I smiled sinfully.

"Now…where were we?"

EPOV

As my family left (thankfully locking the door behind them) and Bella's gaze washed over me, I couldn't help but smile. I was by far the luckiest man alive. I didn't know how it had happened, but by some miracle, I had gotten my shit together and secured the most beautiful, talented, intelligent, seductive, generous (and a million other amazing adjectives) fiancée.

Bella bit her lip seductively, setting every cell in my body on fire, and in that moment, I knew what I wanted. It was weird—I knew that on some level—but I refused to care.

"Bella, can I cash in on my Christmas present right now?"

She looked shocked. Her mouth dropped as all of her movements ceased. "You want to celebrate our engagement by having me dominate you? I don't even have…any props…to help…and I don't know the proper etiquette or anything…"

My cock sprang to life at her words. "Doesn't matter. Improvise. I don't care."

"But…it's your fantasy, bunny…I wanted to make it perfect," she pouted. But it was too late. All I wanted was for her to control me. Metaphorically, it was kind of a fun parallel to getting engaged, right?

"You already own my heart. Why not own my body, too?" I rationalized.

She gulped, and I could see her nipples harden underneath her sweater. _So good._

"Fine," she breathed, her eyes darkening as her eyes darted from my crotch to my eyes. "I'm going to get some…things…from our room." She paused. "Stay here. And when I come out, you'll be naked, kneeling, and ready for me."

That's a FUCK YES to improvisation. I was lucky my girl was such a good actress. I struggled to steady my breathing as she shut the door to our bedroom behind her. I don't think I'd ever been this excited to have sex before…and that was saying something (I mean, I REALLY love sex). After disrobing, to calm myself down, I counted backwards from 500 in my head as I knelt in the middle of the room, my head and eyes angled toward the floor.

As I reached 197, I heard Bella approach. She stopped immediately in front of me; all I could see were the tips of the fuck me boots she had worn the night of our first gig. I gulped as her hand ran through my hair, stroking softly.

"You're such a good boy, following all of my instructions." Her voice sounded like honey, overly sweet but still delicious. I struggled to keep my eyes on the floor, but I didn't want to be punished…yet…so I kept them downcast. "You may look at me."

My eyes raked up her body, admiring every inch of it. She had put together quite the outfit for having such little time or preparation. She wore her black corset with a black lace thong. Her legs were bare, only covered to the knee by her boots. She was absolutely breathtaking. I couldn't believe that THIS was how we were going to celebrate our engagement. We really were the least conventional couple in the history of couples. Bella was right…we never did anything the way we were "supposed" to. I tried not to smile at the thought, but it didn't matter; Bella was distracted staring at my dick. She loved it so much.

_The feeling is definitely mutual._

"Follow me…on your knees, slut." My breath hitched as she walked back into our bedroom, her hips swaying seductively in front of my face. I followed her on hands and knees, crawling towards our bed. I stayed kneeling as Bella pushed herself back onto the bed, her legs spread wide in front of me. My eyes widened in shock seeing how wet this was making her, too.

_Good to know I'm not the only kinky one. I knew she'd be into this…my little minx._

"What do you want, Edward?" I paused, not knowing what to do. "You may respond," she smirked.

"I want to taste you, Mistress Bella." _That sounded nice on my tongue._ She spread her legs further, pushing herself to the edge of the bed, mere centimeters from my face.

"Taste what?"

_Oh, God. Are we really going to do this? Fuck me._

"Your pussy." She groaned. I don't think I had ever used that word with Bella before. It felt so unnatural coming out of my mouth that I almost laughed, but Bella's reaction stopped that course of action before it could even begin. I could see the moisture soaking through her thong as I talked. It was the fucking hottest thing I'd ever seen.

"Are you ever going to ask?" she smirked, removing her soaked thong and throwing it to the other side of the room, opening up her thighs for me again.

"Would it please you to have me taste your pussy, Mistress?"

"Yessss," she hissed.

Without further hesitation, I attached my mouth to her warmth, licking and sucking for all I was worth. Her fingers tangled in my hair, gently pressing me closer to her. "Add your fingers now," she moaned, throwing her head back to rest on her elbows.

Without detaching my mouth, I pushed two fingers into her. She moaned loudly, making my cock ache and twitch against the side of the bed. I curled my fingers slightly and within seconds, Bella was coming all over my fingers. I continued to lick her until she rode out her entire orgasm.

Breathless, she reached down and grabbed my face, forcing her tongue into my mouth. She pulled away suddenly, wiping herself off of her face, smirking slightly. "Did you like that?"

"Yes, thank you, Mistress."

"Such a good pet. Enjoys pleasing his Mistress. Now you get to make me cum with your cock." She licked her lips as she reached down and ran her fingers over the tip of my erection making my entire body tense. "On the bed…now, Edward."

I climbed onto the bed, letting Bella tie my wrists to the headboard with one of her scarves.

"How does that feel. Tug on it, please." I was too busy focusing on the fact that Bella was actually tying me up that it took me a few seconds to respond. Bella pulled at my hair forcefully, jerking my head up to look at her. I relished in the combination of pain and pleasure radiating through my scalp as she growled, "I won't ask again, Edward. Pull on them _now_."

As I was tugging against the restraints, noticing that they were tight, but not tight enough to hurt me (no, seriously, where did she learn this shit from?), Bella took advantage of my distraction and sank onto my cock fast and hard.

"You will not come until I say so," she warned as she continued her torturous bouncing. I closed my eyes, willing my climax to stay at bay. I had an irrational desire to be perfect for her.

"Yes, Mistress," I ground out between my clenched teeth.

"Keep your eyes OPEN," she snapped. My hands pulled against the scarves, wanting nothing more than to latch onto Bella's hips and help her. I stared into Bella's eyes, spurring on her orgasm. I watched as she beautifully came apart above me, clenching on my dick.

_Oh my God. You're totally going to lose it before she lets you._

_No! I'm not…I can do this. I WANT to do this. Look how hot it gets her._

And it really did. She writhed and moaned, still bouncing on my cock, making sounds I'd never even heard her make before. By this time, I was so close to the edge that I couldn't help but thrust my hips up into her, helping her towards her next climax.

"Edward, I love you so much. You look so hot all tied up for me…" she groaned finally removing her corset, palming her breasts roughly. "I can't wait to be your wife."

_Ugh, cheater!_

I struggled to think of anything that would prevent me from spontaneously coming: baseball, puppies, my Nana Cullen, Nana Cullen's ring on Bella's finger, Bella becoming my wife…SHIT! Nothing was working. She saw my frustration and chuckled softly.

"Beg for it, slut. Beg for me."

"Please, Mistress," I begged, breathless. "Please let me come. Please…"

Suddenly, Bella snaked one of her hands down to touch herself. Luckily she leaned down and whispered, "Come for me, Edward," which I did happily…and HARD. My orgasm knocked my breath out of me, lasting for what seemed like forever. She climaxed again, continuing to milk my cock until we were both completely spent.

Slippery with sweat, Bella slid off my body, releasing my wrists from their binding, kissing each one gently, before snuggling into my side.

"How was that, Edward?"

"Uh…perfect?" She blushed, looking down and away from me. "Oh, yeah…now you're embarrassed," I laughed.

"It's embarrassing…"

"You didn't enjoy that?" I asked, pretending to pout. "I'm pretty sure you were enjoying yourself on that third orgasm there—"

"You're infuriating," she sighed, leaning her cheek to my sweaty chest.

"I know, but you love me…and you can't wait to be my wife," I grinned.

"I really can't," she smiled, taking my breath away. "So, when do we want to do this?"

"Ah, yes. The infamous plans." I squeezed her side, secretly ecstatic that she had been planning our wedding since before I proposed. My ego felt nice and inflated.

"I was thinking we could do it before we leave for our tour in your back yard…in Chicago. That way your mom and Alice can go crazy with the decorating and planning, and all we need to do is get dressed and show up." She rolled onto her stomach, resting her chin on my chest as she peered up nervously through her thick fringe of lashes.

"That's kind of genius, Bel." Her brilliance would never cease to amaze me. "I feel like we should discuss more than that. Is that really it?"

"Your mom and Alice will have everything under control, I promise." I laughed, already knowing how true that really was. I was fairly certain that my mother had been planning my wedding since the second I mentioned Bella in September.

_Man, that woman has good foresight._

"The only thing we really need to decide is what we're wearing, who's coming…although I'm sure Emse and Alice would be happy to take care of that, too…and what song we're dancing to," Bella continued.

I pulled Bella flush against me, securing her chest firmly to mine, our breathing synchronizing in steady inhales and exhales. "Okay, well…I don't want to know what you're wearing. And it doesn't really matter what I wear. We can leave the guest list to Alice. And as for the song…I already know what that's going to be."

"You do?"

"You know it, too, Bel," I laughed, causing my sleeping cock to awake once more as it shifted underneath her stomach.

_God damn you! Ruining a perfectly sweet moment with your inappropriate arrival._

_Stop complaining. After your next line, you're bound to get laid again._

_Fine…_

"I do?" she asked curiously, rocking her hips gently, knowingly spreading her wetness over my shaft as I hardened further beneath her.

"It's 'More Than Anyone' by Gavin Degraw," I said between kisses to any part of her skin I could reach (mainly her chest, neck, and shoulders). Her eyes shined with understanding, her skin heating under my very fingers as they moved in small circles along her lower back.

"Why?" she pressed, lowering her face to mine again, our foreheads resting against one another. She knew EXACTLY why. She just wanted to hear me say it.

_I am more than happy to give you anything you want, baby. Seriously. Anything._

"Because it's the song that brought you to me," I whispered, truly meaning every word I was saying.

With that, her lips crashed into mine, pressing with such passion that it caught me off guard. The intensity of it blew me away, and I wanted nothing more than to be inside her again. I couldn't wait for a lifetime of this.

She straddled me and moved my cock to press firmly into her heat. iHoly shit that's good. And it keeps getting better./i Just as she leaned back to sink back down on me again, her phone started ringing from our bedside table. Her eyes flashed to it, widening slightly. I knew that look. She was going to cock block us and answer the fucking phone.

I wasn't going to have any of that.

"Don't answer it, Bel, please," I groaned, thrusting my hips upwards into her.

"It's Sup Pop Records, bunny. I have to get it…"

_No, no, no, no, no! Phone, I hate you!_

Without removing herself, she leaned over and answered the phone. "Hello?"

Shit. Was she going to have a fucking conversation with my penis rock hard inside her? At that thought, her hips adjusted slightly, allowing her to sit comfortably on top of me. Yes…yes, she was.

_Well I'm glad SOMEONE is comfortable. I, on the other hand, might lose my dick this way. I'm so fucking hard it might actually break off!_

After about two minutes of counting backwards from 500 (I seemed to be doing a lot of that today), Bella finally hung up the phone and started rocking on top of me.

"Oh thank Christ," I moaned, unable to prevent my hips from moving in accordance with hers.

"That was Jon," she breathed, sliding herself up and down my shaft at a ridiculously slow pace. "He wanted us to know that we start recording at the beginning of next week."

"Uh huh…" I said, not particularly caring what the hell she was saying.

"So we should go in tomorrow or the next day to rehearse with the band and pick the best songs…"

"Bel," I grunted, gripping her hips with my hands, "no more talking now."

She made some sort of sound of agreement as we picked up our pace. _About fucking time. I really thought I was going to die there for a few seconds…_

Unfortunately, my thoughts of victory were premature. Bella's phone broke out into song once again.

_Every six seconds my body starts begging, your sweet thing is wrecking me…_

_Until you give me some!_

_Ten times a minute, six hundred times an hour, another cold shower…_

_Until you give me some!_

Bella ceased her movements, stilling my hands on her hips again.

"No," I growled. I was getting really pissed. Why wouldn't she just turn off her fucking phone? And what was with the boy band ringtone fetish? Who the hell warranted THAT ringtone? We were going to have to sit down and have a serious conversation about that in the near future.

She made a face, cocking her head to the side, looking confused at her phone. Sighing, she reached over and answered it, cutting off the horrible phone ring.

"Jasper?" she breathed into the receiver, still looking perplexed.

_WHAT. THE. FUCK?_

My best friend was getting shot in the face in the VERY near future. He was completely aware of my afternoon plans with Bella, so…whatever he was calling about sure as hell better be REALLY fucking important.

"What?" Bella choked into the phone, her eyes wide with shock.

Bella listened with rapt attention, already too involved in the phone call. That just wouldn't do. I ran my hands up her sides, wanting to distract her from Jasper…and perhaps bring her focus back to the ridiculously hard cock still residing inside her. Instead of having her reciprocate my movements, though, she slapped my hands away, prying them off of her skin.

"Stop," she mouthed sternly. "Uh…yeah…" she blushed as she responded into the phone. "Jasper, give us fifteen minutes. We'll be there," she said, sounding completely defeated.

Finally, Bella brought her focus back to me. But just as I was getting ready to finally finish what we had started, Bella rolled off of me and onto her back, flopping loudly next to me on the mattress.

"Ugh!" she growled, slapping both of her arms loudly into the comforter. "Get up, Edward. We need to go."

"Up? Where? What?" I shot up, wondering what the hell just happened. Were we not just in the middle of having incredible celebratory sex? Something had to have gone REALLY wrong for her to stop us. Bella still didn't answer, so I pulled her into my arms, wanting to see into her eyes. She was always so easy to read. "Bella, you have to tell me what happened," I said, looking her over slowly.

She didn't look sad or worried…no…she looked PISSED.

"Grab your check book. We have to head down to the police station." My mouth dropped as Bella continued to mutter profanities under her breath as she got dressed.

Police station? I didn't know what had happened this afternoon, but I had a feeling we were in for another hilarious anecdote later tonight.

"Yeah, we have to go bail your family out of jail."

_Fuck_.

**Chapter End Notes: Yes? No? Maybe? Uh oh? Let me know your thoughts...here especially at the tail end, your reviews mean so much to me :)**


	32. Chapter 32

**AN: Okay, friends. This is it. The final chapter. It took me FOREVER to write. It physically hurt my heart writing it. I can't believe I'm saying goodbye to these crazy kids.**

**I'll save my super long AN for the epilogue, but for now I just wanted to tell you all thank you. Thank you for joining me on this ridiculous, superfluous journey. Thank you to everyone who reads and reviews and shares new music with me. I have the best readers ever.**

**An extra thanks to il-bel-mondo and kaystu for being so patient with me as I debated and procrastinated about this chapter all week. You give me the confidence to keep going :)**

**Also, I entered a one-shot to La Vie Pastiche's For The Lover Of Jasper contest. It's called "Just This Once," and it would make me super happy if you would head over to to read it. Here's the link: http://www(DOT)fanfiction(DOT)net/community/For_the_Love_of_Jasper_Contest/72564/99/1/1/**

**Okay, without further ado...ONWARD!**

BPOV

I leaned my head back, bumping it against the headrest of the passenger seat in frustration. My day could not have been any stranger. If I were to tell the story of this day to ANYONE, they would be shocked and appalled with how it all went down.

I could already see the incredulous faces.

_Well, first I got engaged on the bathroom floor…after my boyfriend had been roofied by his crazy ex. Then, I dominated him and tied him up, forcing him to make me come repeatedly. Oh, and then we had to cease our celebratory sex in order to pay his siblings' way out of jail?_

_Yeah, I don't think that's a story we can tell the kids._

_Definitely not._

Just then, Edward shifted and groaned in his seat…again. It took me a few seconds too long to realize that he was most likely in some serious pain. I had been so flustered and shocked by the notion of our friends being in jail that I didn't exactly let either of us finish. I decided to do something about (since, let's be honest, this day couldn't possibly get any weirder).

Slowly, I reached my hand across the center console to place my palm over his crotch…which definitely still needed tending to.

"Bella…" he growled in warning.

"Oh, stop pretending like you don't want this. We have fifteen minutes to kill, and I plan on using them wisely, okay?" Edward's only response was to roll his eyes and turn on his ipod, so I took that as a green light.

I reached for his pants as he continued to fiddle with the ipod, unzipping his jeans and pulling out his cock.

_Sigh. So pretty._

_Did you just call his cock pretty? I think you did._

_Well…it is._

Edward must have been watching my lusty, glazed over expression because he started laughing and just raised his eyebrows. Or, I assumed that's what he was laughing about until Thicke's "When I Get You Alone" started blaring over his speakers. _Of course. Because the lyrics couldn't be any more perfect for us right now_. I started laughing in return as the song continued on, but I also returned my attention to the massive erection that was almost poking me in the eye. I ran my hand up and down, fascinated by the precum that leaked out from the tip. Yes, my fiancé REALLY needed to get off. My poor, frustrated baby.

_So I pray to something she ain't bluffin', rubbin' up on me_

_Well does she want me to make a vow?_

_Well does she want me to make it now?_

_On my house, on my job, on my loot, shoes, my voice, my crew, my mind, my father's last name?_

_When I get you alone…_

"I'm not bluffing, bunny, I promise. And you've already made a vow, so, yes, I will be taking your father's last name…" Edward groaned loudly, and I knew that I was goading him when even more precum appeared. I smiled before leaning over and wrapping my lips over the tip of his cock. Edward's hands were immediately in my hair, helping me find a good rhythm. It was a bit more awkward than I anticipated, and I realized somewhere in the back of my head that I had never given road head before.

_Just another thing to cross off the list…thank you, Edward. I will never be able to play 'never have I ever' again!_

"Ugh…Jesus, Bel…your mouth feels so fucking good," Edward choked out. How he managed to drive, receive head, and talk dirty simultaneously…I'll never know. I was positive I would have crashed the car by now. I intensified my efforts, adding a hand to the base, helping us both along. Soon, Edward couldn't hold on anymore, and I swallowed everything he had to give me.

It wasn't the best head I'd ever given. No…I think that would be the first time we did it in the shower…

_Focus!_

But, Edward's hands kept raking through my hair as I cleaned him up and zipped his pants back up, so it couldn't have been too bad. Sitting up, I realized that we were pulling into the Seattle Police Department parking lot.

_Good thing we just finished, then. Can you imagine being arrested for indecent exposure outside of the police department? Classy._

I unbuckled my seatbelt, ready to face whatever madness lay inside the PD, but Edward's hand reached out to stop me. I turned to him with confusion before being assaulted by his lips. I smiled against him, knowing that whatever we were about to walk into, everything would be fine.

"I love you, Bel. And…that…that was…"

"Amazing? Awe inspiring? Best blow J…with my mouth? I'm so wet right now…" I filled in cheekily.

"Yeah, they told me that would happen in health class," Edward responded, not missing a beat before kissing me again.

"Your cock is so smooth," I continued, moving my hand back towards his crotch.

"Yours would be too…if you were a man…" And Edward was sporting wood again. It was like magic. _My magical cock. That never sleeps. Thank you, God._ "Ugh, Bella! No more quoting Superbad! We have things to do, siblings to kill…" he mumbled before "discreetly" adjusting himself and stepping out of the car.

Giggling at the stupid smile residing on Edward's face (that I had put there), I grabbed his hand and walked into the building. We were accosted by Jasper not even two steps in.

"Oh, thank God! I'm so sorry for interrupting…" He cringed as Edward scowled, gripping my hand tighter within his own. "But I wouldn't have called if it hadn't been an emergency."

"Can I ask a stupid question?" I ventured. Jasper turned his attention to me, nodding. "What the fuck happened? And why did you call me? And why aren't you in there with them?"

"That's more than one question…" Jasper mumbled. I shot my own glare at him, causing him to straighten up and answer quickly. "I called you because Edward wasn't picking up his phone."

"Yeah, it was on silent."

"And, I'm not in there because…I was in the getaway car…"

"The what?" I screeched causing everyone in the main lobby to pause and stare at me for a second.

"Listen…can you guys just write a check for $2,500 each and then I'll tell you the whole story when they're out?" Jasper pleaded.

"$2,500?" Edward gasped.

"Yeah…it was $2,000 for trespassing and an additional $500 for destruction of property…we're lucky they didn't add an assault charge—"

Edward and I glanced at each other with mutual confusion, simply choosing to write the check and deal with everyone later, as Jasper had suggested. I held out my check for Jasper, but Edward snatched it and ripped it in half.

"What the fuck?"

"My siblings, my money, Bel. Don't protest. Emmett will pay me back the $5,000."

"But—"

"What's mine is yours, _honey_," he exaggerated obnoxiously, wrapping an arm tight around my shoulders as Jasper went over to the front desk to hand them our checks. I figured I shouldn't be that pissed, but it bothered me to some extent that he wouldn't want me to pay after I had essentially dominated him earlier in the day.

_A little hypocritical much, right? We are definitely going to work on being equals in the future. Or maybe a little give or take?_

_Um, yeah, did you ever think that this is his way of regaining some equality after being at your mercy, tied up and used only for your pleasure, for a few hours?_

_No…but I should have…_

I was pulled out of my inner monologue by both Edward and Jasper calling out to a very tattered and bruised looking Emmett, Alice, and Rosalie.

"What the hell happened?" Edward roared, examining Alice's bruised and bloody body. "Al, who did this to you?"

"No worries, Eddie. That bitch is still behind bars," Emmett smiled wickedly.

"Diner. Now," I ordered sternly.

"Yes, Mistress," Rosalie purred looking from me to Edward to Edward's wrists, which had the faint markings of the restraints I had used earlier.

My mouth dropped in shock, and Edward let out some strangled choking noise as he turned bright red, looking at the floor to attempt to hide it, and snatching his hands to clasp them behind his back and out of sight. Confused, everyone started to obey my orders (haha) and headed out of the building. I had never seen Edward so flustered or embarrassed before, and I relished in the opportunity to make him squirm.

"We're going to have to work on your submissive stance, my pet," I whispered into Edward's chest as everyone walked past us towards the cars. Alice, who was already half way out the door, whipped around, her eyes widening in shock.

_God damn that bionic hearing! I swear, I'm going to need to learn to read lips to keep secrets from her…_

"No fucking way…" she whispered in an uncharacteristically quiet moment.

Instead of being embarrassed, though, I felt completely empowered. I looked over my shoulder at her and winked subtlety, knowing that Alice had caught it as her eyes widened further and the corners of her mouth turned up.

"Nice," she said before high tailing it towards Jasper's car.

"You're _so_ getting punished later for that," Edward sighed as he tucked his still flaming cheeks into the crook of my neck. "I can't believe you said that in front of my baby sister…"

I chuckled and wrapped my arms around his neck, running my fingers through the crazy spikes of his hair, which was clearly still disheveled from our afternoon in bed.

"Like she didn't know you were kinky before…" I scoffed. "Come on, slut, a really hilarious anecdote awaits us, I'm sure." I moved my lips from his ear to press light kisses down his cheek as stood there, still huddled in the lobby of the police station.

"Yes, Mistress," he mumbled into my neck.

***

By the time Edward and I got to the diner, everyone had already ordered food. Heaping amounts of food, in fact.

"Wait. When you guys left our apartment you were on your way to lunch. What happened on the way to lunch that landed you in jail?"

"A really brilliant idea, courtesy of Rosalie," Emmett beamed. His smile faltered. "Well, not completely brilliant because we ended up getting caught…but that wasn't our fault!"

"Okay, okay, I'm going to need details ASAP."

All of a sudden, all eyes honed in on Rosalie. She smiled shyly, playing with a piece of her hair. "What?"

"Rose, you have to tell the story! It was your idea!" Emmett looked pointedly at her.

"Fine," Alice cut in. "I'll begin. So, we left your apartment, all of us in Jasper's car, ready to eat a great New Years lunch. And in the car we were discussing…well, we were discussing how much we hated Lauren for ruining your night. Plus, what she did was wrong and totally illegal! So, Rose and I decided we wanted some revenge."

My mouth dropped in shock. This was too good. "What did you do?"

Alice nudged Rosalie, who finally decided to tell us her 'brilliant' idea. "Okay, well, I decided that I wanted to get Lauren fired, plus maybe get back at Marcus while we did so…I mean, that guy was a total schmuck, too. So, we stopped by my garage to get some 'supplies,'" she giggled.

"Oh no…what kind of supplies? You guys broke into the bar?" I asked, finally realizing the trespassing charges.

"My baby is a MASTER at breaking an entering," Emmett boasted proudly.

"Clearly," Edward grunted.

"Okay, so…back inside the bar…"

"Well, I had the car running in the parking lot the whole time, so we could have a quick getaway," Jasper laughed looking thoughtful.

"Yeah, thanks for keeping such great watch, Jasper," Alice spat. I don't think I'd ever seen her be cross with Jasper before. It was fairly hilarious to watch.

"I'm afraid to ask," I paused. "What did you do to the bar?"

All of them just burst out laughing.

"We super-glued all of the bottles of liquor to the shelves, cabinets, and wall with Hy-Poxy," Alice snorted as she laughed.

"Wait, what?" Edward looked incredulous, as I'm sure I did as well. "Really?"

"We figured it wasn't that destructive, but it would REALLY cut into the bar's profits to have to replace all of that liquor. Plus, we were going to put the Hy-Poxy in Lauren's locker! Genius, I tell you," Rosalie mumbled.

"Yeah, until Lauren walked in," Emmett smirked.

"What?" Edward and I gasped simultaneously.

"Oh, yeah, she caught us 'in the act' so to speak. But…we caught her, too. With Paul! They came in, faces glued to one another, not even seeing us there until Alice bitch slapped her."

"Alice?" She blushed, tipping her head into her chest.

"No one messes with my family," she replied, jutting her chin out adamantly.

"Or my Bella," Rosalie added.

"So…what happened?" Edward was completely enraptured in their sordid tale.

"Well…when Rosie jumped into the fight, it turned kind of violent…I mean, two against one…it wasn't pretty. There was hair pulling, biting, scratching. It was ridiculous, guys! If my sister hadn't been involved, I probably would have been really into it." Emmett looked contemplative for a second before returning to the story. "Anyway, Lauren did the only thing she could think of, and grabbed a bottle from the bar…or tried to," Emmett laughed in recollection of the tale. "But I guess she was so pumped up on adrenaline that she was able to break the bottle from the wall, shattering glass EVERYWHERE! Tiny pieces flew across the room, and I couldn't protect the girls fast enough. They got showered in it." Emmett started getting really into the story, weaving an intricate picture as if we were there, too. "So this raging Lauren just starts barreling towards the girls. I had to intervene, hence, my wound." Emmett lifted the sleeve of his shirt, revealing a huge gash in his arm.

"Emmett!" I gasped. "You should go to the hospital and get that looked at!"

"Battle wound," he scoffed. "It was totally worth it. Anyway, Paul was just standing there looking freaked out as hell, and I guess we were causing such a commotion that the neighbors called the cops. They arrested us all for trespassing and destroying property, but Lauren's being detained for assault and battery, which is $20,000 on bail!"

"Shut up!" Edward bellowed in shock and delight.

"Yeah, so as they're being led out in cuffs, I just sat in the car across the street, watching this all go down. That's why I called. Sorry about that…again…" Jasper at least had the decency to look remorseful.

"No way! Don't fucking apologize, J," Edward yelled getting kind of hysterical. "That psycho bitch tried to rape me. Maybe some time in jail will do her good. Nicely done," he smiled, nodding appreciatively at Rosalie, Alice, and Emmett respectively. "Thank you. Despite the fact that Em now owes me $5,000, I'd say this afternoon was a success." Edward winked and wrapped his arms around my shoulders. That magnetic force pulled me into his side; I sighed as I breathed in his scent, which was still mixed with my own.

"So, now that we have you captive and outside your den of sin for a little bit…" Alice's eyes gleamed, and I knew what was coming. I decided to cut her short.

"You can plan everything with your mom, Alice." Her entire face lit up. It was as if I had handed her Willy Wonka's golden ticket. I had never seen her so happy.

"Oh, thank you, Bella! Thank you, thank you, thank you!" She began bouncing in her seat. I heard Jasper swear under his breath. No doubt these next few months were going to be hell for him. Oh well. I guess I was just cashing in on my Jasper torture a little late.

"Our only requirements are that it will be at our house in Chicago before we leave in June, and we want it to be pretty small, okay?" I felt Edward's lips press into my hair as he squeezed my shoulder. I was definitely the luckiest girl in the world.

With that, Alice went on a huge rant about all of the plans she and Esme had already made. I listened to "20's themed to match the ring and gardenias symbolizing secret love," and then pretty much tuned her out.

Taking a moment to myself, I looked around the table, realizing that I would do anything for these five people. And they would do anything for me, too…clearly. I couldn't wait to be joined with Edward forever. I wanted the whole world to know about us, and sitting in the diner, observing my family (for all intents and purposes), I knew that we were starting something great. And nothing was going to stop that.

EPOV

"Bella, we're going to be late!" I called from our living room for the hundredth time that afternoon. Okay, well, maybe not hundredth…but it felt like it.

"I'm coming! Jeeze," I heard Bella sigh exasperatedly as she probably changed her outfit…again.

_When did you turn into the nagging girlfriend, dude? _

_I lost my balls a long time ago. And I'm totally okay with it. Have you seen my future wife? Yeah, hottie._

_Ugh. Fine. But try and do something manly today._

_Duly noted_.

Finally, she emerged. Looking like a goddess, of course.

"Do I look okay?" she asked, tugging on the hem of her shirt. It had been so long since I'd seen that nervous habit that I was immediately concerned.

"Bella, you look beautiful, as always. But you know that no one will actually care what you look like while you're recording. Why are you nervous?"

The day after our engagement, we started rehearsals for the album. And we'd been going non-stop since then, focusing mostly on the song arrangements. The band immediately took to Bella, just as I knew they would. And miracle of miracles, Jack loved my songs. I may have shrieked like a little fan girl that night when we got home…maybe. Anyway, he picked his favorite ten, and Bella and I picked out our favorite ten. After combining the lists, we were left with 14 songs to record and one cover of our choosing (The Cookies' "I Never Dreamed").

Today we were officially going to start recording, laying down tracks, and I was pretty sure that the weeks of nonstop rehearsal combined with Alice's wedding plan pestering was definitely taking its toll on Bella.

She walked to me, wrapping her arms around my waist before placing them in the back pockets of my jeans and pressing her cheek to my chest making my temperature rise ever so slightly.

"What if I'm not good? What if we start recording, and I'm terrible and Jon and Jack regret ever having signed me? This is so terrible, I'm freaking out."

I moved my arms up and down her back wanting to calm her the only way I knew how. I moved my finger to her chin, pulling her gaze towards me. Like two magnets, our lips moved towards each other with no provocation. I felt her heart race against my chest, but I could feel her muscles relaxing with every languid stroke of my tongue.

_God, I'm good._

"There is no way that's going to happen, Bel. You are incredibly talented. Everyone has been complimenting you in rehearsals for the past few weeks, and we're recording MY original songs, so if anyone should be nervous about rejection here, it's should be me. Now, are we ready to go?" Finally relaxed, she nodded, smiling happily.

***

Recording went brilliantly, just as I knew it would. Bella was an absolute natural, and Jack only had to do minor enhancements and post-production stuff. We finished laying everything down in only six weeks (two weeks ahead of schedule, fuck yeah!), and Jon and Jack were ecstatic about it. Today, though, was all business. First we were meeting with Jon and Jack about something, and then Bella was being shipped off to a photo shoot to work on the album cover and promotional images. Naturally, I was following along.

"Edward, I'm really nervous," Bella whispered. We sat in the lobby of Sub Pop Records waiting for Jack and Jon. I was about to comfort her again when Jack walked out, looking happier than I'd seen him look in months.

"Hey, guys! Come on in!"

Bella and I followed him into Jon's office where Jon sat behind his desk with a CD in hand.

_Gulp_.

"You ready for this?" he laughed.

"Probably not…" Bella said shakily. We were really going to have to work on her confidence in the near future. How could Bella not see how incredible she was? It was beyond me.

Ready to listen, I led Bella over to the couch, allowing her to fit perfectly into my side. She sat rigidly, nerves tensing every muscle in her body. Relaxing into the couch, I wrapped my arm around her shoulders as we listened to the album the whole way through.

I was in complete awe. Bella's voice had this husky, sexy quality to it, and fuck, I was getting hard. It was the same voice she used during sex. I glanced down at Bella, whose eyes were trained on our interlocked hands on her shoulder, occasionally glancing down at her lap. Every so often she'd let out a soft sigh, relaxing further into my shoulder.

Finally, the last notes rang out propelling the room into silence. An awkward tension filled the room as Bella finally looked up, making eye contact with Jon.

"Bella," he said, his eyes sparkling, "I can not even tell you how impressed I am with this album." Her worried eyes warmed as a slow smile spread across her face, lightening the room's atmosphere at once. "For your freshman effort, it's one of the best I've ever seen. And let's remember whose freshman efforts I've seen," he continued.

"I feel honored to have worked with both of you," Jack added. "You're incredibly talented and some of the most professional people I've ever worked with…besides the fact that you can't keep your hands off of one another…including in the recording booth." My laugh was cut off prematurely by Bella's death grip on my thigh. Jack's eyes widened with mirth allowing us to put together the pieces. "You REALLY need to work on making sure you're alone when you think you are," he smiled widely.

"No…" Bella blushed furiously. I couldn't help it; I tipped my head back and let out loud guffaws of laughter, cracking up the rest of the room in turn.

_FLASHBACK_

_I sat in the recording booth, working on the chords of one song, attempting to fix a chord progression that still didn't sound right to me when Bella forcibly removed the guitar from my hands._

"_Bella! I almost had it!" I protested._

"_Shh, bunny. You've been working so hard recently…you seem stressed." She returned to me, straddling my lap as she ran her fingers through my hair, relaxing me instantly._

"_I am stressed," I groaned. "I can't get the bridge to sound right. It's killing me. And I miss you." I pouted, knowing she couldn't resist me._

"_I miss you, too." Bella pressed her lips to mine, sucking on my bottom lip before pulling back abruptly. "I just realized that it's been ten days since we've had sex."_

"_What? No way. It can't have been that long…" I was genuinely shocked. That was a REALLY long time for us. Our longest dry spell since "the scare," for sure._

"_I had my period last week." Well, that explained why I didn't notice it'd been ten days…it'd only been like 4 days for me. Period week was what Bella had deemed "blow job week," so I hadn't really been without as long as she had. Did I mention how much I love my fiancée? "And since then, either we're here surrounded by people, or we're home with Alice waiting to jump me. I feel like I haven't been alone with you except at home, and we're always too tired to do anything. Are we already that couple? That's too tired to do anything? This doesn't bode well, Edward…" she rambled, looking cuter the more frustrated she became._

_We were NOT that couple. We were never going to be that couple. Sex was a part of our nature, and we both needed it from one another in inexplicable ways. I looked around quickly and pulled the door closed. "We're alone now…"_

"_Seriously?" she gasped._

_I ran my nose from her shoulder to her jaw making her shiver above me. "Mmhmm…" I mumbled into her warming skin as I pulled her closer to my straining erection, fastening my hands to her hips. As good as it felt, I knew that she needed to come first. Pun intended._

_Luckily, Bella had taken to wearing yoga pants during recording since sessions were incredibly draining, and she wanted to be as comfortable as possible. Comfortable definitely worked to my advantage. I slid my hand easily into her pants, finding her wet for me already._

_Fuck to the yeah._

"_Gah, Edward," she smiled, her head flopping forward onto my shoulder. Her eyes fluttered closed, and I was immediately rewarded with a soft roll of her hips into my erection._

_We could play that way if she wanted. I wasn't opposed to that at all. I pushed my fingers into her as she began rolling her hips again over me. Every soft sigh and moan spurred me on further, which in turn made her move more on my lap._

_See…good times for EVERYONE._

_Soon, we were both panting in short gasps, coming apart together in a moment of unadulterated bliss. I removed my hand from her pants, licking my fingers like a contented kitten…which was fairly similar to how Bella looked at that moment. She smirked, her eyes sparkling with the afterglow of her release._

"_Thank you," she sighed happily._

"_Same time tomorrow?" She punched my arm, but I had a very strong feeling that she would take me up on my offer._

And she did. Bella and I probably performed every sexual act we had ever performed together in that small recording booth. After everyone went home, we stayed for another half an hour, or hour, or three…man, those were some great memories. I felt Bella's heated cheeks pressed against my chest, bringing me back to the present. Still laughing, I finally looked back up at Jon and Jack.

"Hey, if I were as good looking as you two, I'd never put clothes on," Jack laughed. "And it's fine! You're in love, you're engaged, but if you thought that you were always the last ones to leave the studio, you're most definitely wrong."

"Let me die right now. Oh my God, tell me I'm dreaming…we're so unprofessional…" Bella mumbled, her head still hidden from the room.

"Speaking of never putting clothes on," Jon interrupted. My ears perked up. No good ever came out of starting a sentence with those words. "Bella, you really should be going to meet with the photographer now."

_Um, come again? Speaking of never putting clothes on…Bella, you should be going to meet with the photographer? What kind of photo shoot is this?_

Bella apparently felt the same way. She tensed up beside me, her eyes shooting up to meet Jon's in a moment of sheer panic. As soon as they made eye contact, his eyes warmed, and I realized that he had just wanted her attention.

_Sly bastard. It's why I love him_.

"Just kidding," he laughed. "The cover and artwork will be incredibly tasteful, Bella. I promise. You will be wearing all of your clothes. But, we really should be going. I, unfortunately, have work to do here, but Jack will be taking you two over to the set to meet with the photographer."

BPOV

I couldn't believe how good our album sounded. I barely recognized my own voice, and I wondered how much post-production magic Jack had actually done. I couldn't possibly sound like that, right?

_Or maybe you do…and that's why they wanted to record with you in the first place?_

_Pshah, no…_

I was becoming a pro at being self-deprecating since this whole recording process started. Edward was without a doubt a saint for putting up with me. I was so stressed out by Alice's overwhelming wedding plans; she had sucked me in, and I was struggling to remain calm about it. She sent an invitation to my mother (who knows how she got THAT address), to which I received a message on my voicemail saying something along the lines of, "I would love to be there, but Phil will be on the road in June. Congratulations, and I look forward to meeting him…" and blah, blah, blah. Renee wasn't really my family. I was far more concerned with my La Push family's reaction to my engagement.

It turned out that they weren't all that surprised. Apparently Edward had told them that he was going to propose when we visited at Christmas. Sneaky fiancé with his plans. And to top it off, all of the boys were incredibly supportive. They thought we were a match made in music heaven, apparently. What the hell was that all about?

I was pulled out of my internal debate by a large mass picking me up and spinning me around. My confusion melted away as I looked up into the smiling eyes of my very favorite bartender.

"Felix? What are you doing here?"

"Bella, Edward, I'd like you to meet—"

"Alec!" I smiled, hugging the gorgeous blonde with a camera in his hands.

_Wait, camera?_

_Oh, oh, ohhhhh! A little slow on the uptake today, aren't we?_

"You know each other?" Jack asked, clearly confused by our group display of affection. Out of the corner of my eye, I saw Edward and Felix shaking hands and talking animatedly about something.

"We used to work with Felix, who is a close friend of Alec's," I explained, nodding my head towards the huge, hulking man who was approaching me far too fast for my liking. I was afraid that he was going to squeeze the life out of me again, but instead, he changed his focus to my hand, picking it up and examining the ring in the dim light of the studio.

"Nicely done, man," Felix laughed, slapping a large hand onto Edward's shoulders.

"Thanks, I think so." My body warmed as Edward wrapped one arm around my shoulder, picking up my hand to kiss my ring finger with his other.

"Aw, you two are ADORABLE!" Alec smiled. "But, we only have a few hours in this space, and I have a lot I want to get done today, so…shall we?"

Alec ushered us inside the studio, where I was accosted by another familiar face. My stomach sank with dread.

"Alice? What are you doing here?"

"Please, like I would let you do your own hair and makeup for a photo shoot," she scoffed, rolling her eyes at me. Then, she turned all business with Jack. "Jack, I'm assuming what we talked about still holds?" Jack nodded absentmindedly as he and Alec started moving set pieces around the room.

_Had I just entered the Twilight Zone? What kind of madness was this?_

I looked to Edward for help, but his eyes were just as confused as mine. Apparently people enjoyed keeping us in the dark. Figures. Without a second to waste, Alice pulled me behind a screen, stripping my clothes off of me before I could protest.

"I'm so sorry I couldn't tell you anything, Bella! But when I found out that you were my first job, I couldn't resist seeing the look on your face! Alec does tons of high profile celebrity photo shoots, and he's hired me to be in charge of hair, makeup, and wardrobe for all of his shoots! How amazing is that? Felix called the other day because he said that he always admired my sense of style, can you imagine? Anyway, so Jon wants a 'throw back' look for this shoot…we decided that 60s mod would look fantastic on you…plus, it reflects the style of the album…"

Alice continued to ramble on as I sat back and just let her do her thing. Thirty minutes later, I barely recognized myself. Alice had straightened my hair stick straight and twisted it up into some sort of modern looking French twist, which contrasted greatly with my heavily lined eyes and pale lips.

"Perfect!" She clapped her hands together like a small child receiving their favorite toy. "Now, put these on, and you'll be ready." She shoved something sparkly into my hands. My face must have shown my skepticism because she just started muttering to herself and putting the clothes on me herself. She was definitely a pushy one.

I stepped back out onto the set nervously. The room went silent. I searched out Edward's eyes with my own, only to find that they were smoldering. In fact, the room was so silent that I could actually hear his heavy breathing from across the room. I spun around slowly, the silver sequins of my short dress lighting up the room as he walked towards me.

"Like the view?" I laughed. He nodded wordlessly, his lips steadily approaching mine until I heard Alice shriek loudly, causing him to step back suddenly.

"No! Edward Anthony Cullen, don't you DARE mess up her makeup!" He held his hands up and backed away slowly, but the lust in his eyes didn't subside. I was pretty sure that I could attribute that look to the thigh high black boots I was wearing. My boy LOVED boots.

_Smirk_.

"Wow, Bella, you look fantastic! Now, if you could just hop up onto that piano there…"

All of a sudden, Alec was positioning me over a beautiful grand piano. My legs hung over the keys, draped carefully so as not to give anyone a peep show. Edward made sure of that one. Of course.

Taking pictures was actually easier than I thought it was going to be. It felt natural, laughing with my friends as Edward, Felix, and Alice cracked one inappropriate joke after the other.

I followed Alec's instructions, listening to the hilarious conversations around me. Until one wasn't so funny anymore.

"So, how much did you really see?" I heard Edward ask Jack quietly.

"Enough," Jack laughed.

"Do I need to kill you?"

"Nope. Honestly, kid, you're going to be rock stars. You're young and hot and incredibly in love. It was fairly sweet. Although, I could have gone on living my life without knowing that my clients like to tie one another up. That was a terrible night for me." Jack shuddered exaggeratedly before winking at me, who was obviously listening to their conversation with rapt attention and horror.

Edward's eyes bugged out of his head slightly, and I knew that I was blushing uncontrollably. How do you go into work when your boss knows that you've handcuffed your fiancé to the door so you can give him head at your own pace? I don't think I'd ever been quite so embarrassed before. Ever. And that's including the time that Jasper "didn't see anything." Please, like I ever believed that one.

"Now I'm going to take a bunch of close ups. Bella, I'm going to need you to take off your ring for the next few shots," I heard Alec call out. And the sinking feeling in my stomach returned.

_Take off my engagement ring? I don't think so. _

The only time it ever came off my finger was when I was taking a shower, and it went back on immediately as I stepped out. The ring was a physical token of Edward's claim on me, and therefore…my claim on him. We had been through too much for me to begin my career "not together."

In fact, I realized that my career had completely dictated my love life with Edward, and I wasn't sure I wanted to continue that. First there was "the rule." That stupid rule that prevented Edward and I from being together. So, we hid it from everyone for months. And it was pure torture. Then after we were liberated from our cage of secrecy, we were forced back in by another stupid career ploy. Fucking Marcus and his stupid "socializing." Those weeks were complete torture as well. There was no way in hell I was going to be forced back into a closet of secrecy when it came to my professional career. I couldn't do it. I refused.

EPOV

Bella was freaking out, and I wasn't exactly sure what to do about it. To everyone else in the room, it looked like she was just thinking over a response, but I knew better. Bella was about one step away from being hysterical on a bathroom floor somewhere.

"Can we have a second?" I strode forward quickly, interrupting the inevitable. Jack and Alec agreed amiably, and Alice and Felix were too distracted talking about (what I assumed to be) wedding plans to even notice.

"Bel? Are you okay?" I asked, worried. I placed my hands on the small inches of skin between her boots and the hem of her dress, attempting to calm her down.

"I can't do it, Edward," she whispered, clenching her eyes closed tightly, her nose scrunching up in the most adorable way.

"Can't do what?"

She opened her eyes, tears finally spilling over onto her cheeks. She was in obvious pain, and it was making my stomach hurt. She shook her head slightly, still not answering me as more tears rolled down her chin and onto her dress.

I was panicking. What if this was the moment when she decided it was all over? What if she couldn't do US. Didn't Alec just say something about her ring?

_Oh fuck. You're going to get dumped for the first time ever. In front of your sister and three other guys. This sucks._

My eyes went to her ring, my hand automatically reaching to play with it around her finger. Suddenly, my eyes were pulled away from the ring by Bella's delicate hands. She placed her hands on either side of my face looking incredibly concerned.

"Edward? What just happened?"

I sighed in defeat. This was it. "If you can't do it…just tell me."

"Bunny, what are you talking about?"

"What are _you_ talking about?" Now I was getting confused. What couldn't she do? What got her so emotional and upset?

"Alec asked me to take my ring off for the next few pictures. But I can't do it, Edward. I'm done with letting everyone else dictate our relationship. What if this is just the first step? And then they want us to hide our marriage and we'll have to pretend we're not in a relationship for the rest of our lives? I can't do that. I just can't. I want everyone to know that you're mine."

My heart leaped for joy, doing a ridiculous happy dance, a slow smile spreading across my face. "Bella, I'm yours. Always." I kissed her ring, letting my lips linger on her finger before making my way to her mouth.

I didn't care how much Alice yelled at me. Bella needed this reassurance. And I would give her anything.

I made sure to keep my hands on her thighs, afraid that if I moved them, her hair would be down and resembling a rat's nest within seconds. Our lips moved softly at first, tentative brushes against one another, testing the waters. It wasn't enough, though. Soon, Bella's hands were in my hair, tugging and pulling me closer as her legs wrapped around my waist.

It was then that I realized she was still sitting atop a grand piano. As we made out. Talk about a fantasy come to life. Fuck.

Her lips became more insistent, her tongue seeking out mine. I could feel my cock straining against my jeans, and despite the fact that I knew there were four sets of eyes on us right now, I couldn't bring myself to care. I met her tongue with equal fervor, pulling her so close that there was not even a millimeter of space between our joined bodies anymore.

We both pulled back, grinning like idiots, but at least her tears were gone. All of a sudden, my reverie was broken by a loud round of whooping and cheering from the other side of the room. Jack look amused, and I wondered for the third time this afternoon how much he had ACTUALLY seen of us.

"Alec…Jack," Bella breathed, still not unlocking her legs from my waist. "I'd rather not take off my engagement ring if that's all right. I'm not going to hide the fact that I'm with Edward ever. And taking the ring off for promotional stuff…seems like the first step to heading back into a place that I never want to return to."

Alec raised his eyebrow, shrugging as Jack texted something into his phone furiously, holding up one finger to us. The phone vibrated in his hand. I held my breath in anticipation.

"Jon says that's fine, as long as it doesn't obstruct the shot."

"Great," Bella smiled before placing a chaste kiss on my lips.

I moved back into the shadows as Alec continued to place Bella in different positions. And as I watched her glowing under the stage lights, sitting on the piano, looking as gorgeous as ever, something clicked.

Bella was brave, and I was an idiot.

My world stopped when Bella walked into that audition so many months ago, a halo of light lighting up her chestnut hair. But instead of fighting against "the rule," I succumbed to it. I resigned myself to the fact that Bella would always be unattainable. Friends were better than nothing, right? But I was wrong. And Bella just schooled my ass. Had I just admitted my feelings for Bella from the get go, this crazy, torturous journey would have been so much easier.

Our eyes locked from across the room, mutual understanding lighting up our features.

I may have been a fucking ass, but I was sure of one thing: never again would anyone tell me that Bella was off limits.

**Chapters End Notes: Thanks again to everyone who reads this. HUGE HUGS to all of you. Only the epilogue remains. I have most of it written, but if you have a very specific moment you want to see from their future, let me know. Your reviews are love.**


	33. EPILOGUE

**AN: Okay, wow. So many things I need to say. Longest AN for the longest chapter? Okay, let's get started.**

**First of all, thank you so much to all of you guys. First and foremost. I started this story to add some fluff to a time of ridiculous angst in my life, and I'm so glad that I could share it with all of you. Every review, every PM, every read made me so happy. I'm so honored to be able to call some of you guys my friends. It's been an unreal experience for my first foray into fan fic.**

**Speaking of which, I have another story in the works called "The Longest Summer." Apparently I like to write about things that aren't happening in my life...naturally at the end of the summer, I'd start writing a summer story, right? Anyway--if you want yourself some Campward (as Lisa has already dubbed him) and a new crop of my fluff, anst, sexual tension, and humiliation...join me, put me on author alert, whatever. Just know that it's on its way!**

**Extra thanks to Kaystu. Without you, I never would have written this story in the first place. Thanks for letting me read each chapter outloud to you and for telling me that you've always wanted some pink power wheels. Maybe if you're really good...I'll get you one ;)**

**Lastly, this epilogue is 15K words long. No joke. That means this chapter is twice as long as my longest chapter so far. Think of this as the sequel that I'm not going to write. Honestly, it's not conventional. But...I knew I wanted to do it like this for a while, and I hope you guys enjoy it. And let's be honest, when have I done anything conventionally anyway?**

**Without further ado, here is it, folks. The end. Thanks again for taking this journey with me. Enjoy.**

EPILOGUE

EPOV

"Where are we going?" Bella asked for the twentieth time that night.

"Why do you need to know that? Isn't it more fun to be surprised?" I moved my hand to her thigh and squeezed gently causing her nipples to pebble through her thin, black dress. Still fucking hot as hell. And I'm still the luckiest bastard alive.

"Edward, I'm old now. I'm turning 30," she frowned. "Surprises aren't fun anymore! You got me all dressed up and took me out of the house for the first time in forever that doesn't have to do anything with an industry event, so…I can't help that I'm curious. Plus, you said that Rosalie is babysitting for us tonight? When has Rosalie ever volunteered to babysit? The girl once told me that she never wants children because her cars will always be enough for her…" Bella rambled playing absentmindedly with her ring. I loved that she still did that.

Instead of answering, I ignored her and turned on some music. In fact…I may have made a playlist especially for our drive tonight.

"First of all, 30 isn't old, Bel." I shot her a glare as I felt her roll her eyes at me.

"We've been through a lot. We're the oldest 30 year olds I know," she argued. I wasn't having any of it.

"Second of all, this is the first part of your present, so pay attention," I added, tapping the speaker.

"A mix?" Her eyes sparkled.

"You should know better than anyone that I assign songs to important events."

"Where are we going? Do we have time to listen to the entire thing? How many songs are there?"

I laughed and kissed her hand, lifting it to my mouth. "I'm still not telling you where we're going, but, yes…we have time to listen to all of the songs."

Finally, Bella relaxed back into her seat, listening to the familiar strains of the story of the past 8 years. Oh what a journey it has been.

**You Should Know – Midtown**

_You should know that I won't ever let you go_

_I'm here to bear the weight of years._

"Edward, stop pulling at your hair. You look like a deranged Einstein," my dad chastised as he helped straighten out my new dark green tie.

"Let him," Emmett chuckled, slapping me on the back and handing me a gin and tonic (where he got it…I still don't know). "He turned 24 last week and is already getting hitched? Please, I'd be pulling out my fucking hair, too."

"Emmett Cullen I heard that!" Rosalie appeared out of nowhere, smacking the back of my oaf of a brother's head. "Hey, Edward," she smiled as she pulled me into a hug. _Yeah, no…that's still weird._

"I'm not nervous," I mumbled as my dad just shook his head at me. "You look nice, Rose" I responded changing topics, trying in vain not to think about where Rose had just come from and who she had been with. Who they'd all been keeping from me. Assholes. And their stupid wedding traditions.

I hadn't seen Bella since yesterday morning when Alice had whisked her out of my bed, leaving me with my debauched father, brother, and best friend. We'd managed to sneak texts throughout the day, thankfully. Our texts had turned pretty raunchy (I mean, that's what happens when you split us up…they should know).

Anyway, I had received a text from Bella that said: **Wet, waiting, and willing…I miss your cock**., which got me so fucking hot that I almost came in my pants.

I decided I wanted to up the ante, so I responded even more explicitly with: **My cock misses you, too. It's been hard since you had me bound and gagged last night. It can't wait for a lifetime of you being in charge ;)**

To which I received: **I already know more about your penis than I ever needed to, brother. Stop texting Bella! ** Needless to say, I hadn't attempted to contact Bella since. Sad face.

"Thanks!" Rosalie spun around in a slow circle, showing off the near backless deep, emerald dress she was wearing, her golden curls bouncing off of her back leaving Emmett speechless (a first, for sure). To be fair, she _did_ look beautiful. Apparently their bridesmaid dresses were based off of Kiera Knightley's green dress in _Atonement_ to accommodate the 20s theme. Also, they matched my eyes (thank you, Alice). "But I look like nothing compared to your future wife," she continued.

"How is she?" I began to ask, but all of a sudden I was being force fed a cocktail and being led out to the backyard. I saw a flash of black hair, and I knew that Bella was mere feet away from me…in her dress. Fuck. I walked across the lawn to take my place at the altar when I realized what was actually happening. Suddenly, my stomach flipped, and I couldn't drink my gin and tonic fast enough.

"You sure you're ready for this, Edward?" Jake laughed as I placed my empty glass down on a chair.

"No," I groaned. "I'm totally going to fuck this all up. Why did she even agree to this? I'm completely incapable of doing anything right. And she's going to want today to be perfect…And, hey, aren't you supposed to be with her right now?" I rambled, my nerves finally spilling forth.

"Edward. Breathe." I felt Emmett's hand on my back. "You can still call this off you know." I could hear the smile in his voice. I'm sure he still thought it was ridiculous that out of all of us, I was the first one settling down. "But, yeah…aren't you supposed to be walking Bella down the aisle like…any second now, Jake?"

"I am. She actually asked me to come check on Edward. After chugging her own gin and tonic. I swear, your dad is trying to get you all to be alcoholics."

"You bet your ass, I am," my dad said, handing me yet another drink. Suddenly, Alice appeared out of nowhere, taking the drink from my hand and grabbing Jake with her other.

"No more drinking. It's time!" I heard her cheer happily.

Before I knew it, I was standing at the altar, ready to get married. _How did that happen?_ I tried to pay attention as Rosalie and Alice walked down the aisle, but I couldn't. All I could do was think of Bella.

After what seemed to be an eternity, she finally emerged from the house. My breathing stopped for a second as my entire world slowed down. Emmett clapped a large hand on my shoulder, but I couldn't feel a thing. All of my senses were focused on Bella. I had never seen anything more beautiful. Her dress was essentially the white version of her bridesmaids' dresses, except hers was strapless and her hair was up, showing off her gorgeous shoulders. They were my second favorite place to kiss Bella. Our eyes finally locked, causing us to break out into matching smiles. She couldn't get to me fast enough. I tried to will her to run down the aisle; it seemed like she took forever to get to me.

Once I had her in my arms, I didn't let her go. We stood throughout the entire ceremony, arms wrapped around one another's waists, our eyes never leaving the other's. I even cheated a few times and kissed her before I was allowed to. But…it had been over 24 since I'd touched her, and not even my priest was allowed to tell me to stop.

And when I finally _was_ allowed to kiss her…I never wanted to stop. Ever. Our lips met in a less than appropriate frenzy, her tongue plowing into my mouth aggressively. Bella was my WIFE. Mine forever.

_Take that, boys of the world. This one's mine._

In a natural response to my possessiveness, my hands started moving down to grab her ass and pull her into my erection until I remembered where the hell I was. I stopped, gasping for much needed air, relishing in Bella's sparkling eyes until I heard my dad and Emmett yelling in the crowd.

"Why didn't anyone tell them about church tongue?"

"Technically we're not in church, so…"

_Um, yeah. You still have an audience._

…_not for long, buddy!_

With that, I took Bella's hand and led her back down the aisle, dragging her into the house. I couldn't share Bella with anyone right now. She looked surprised, but her eyes had darkened significantly, and I knew she wasn't planning on fighting me.

"I missed you," she sighed into my mouth, reattaching her lips to mine as I walked us into the closest lockable room (the downstairs bathroom, naturally…man, we're classy!).

"Oh, God, I missed you, too, Bel. I love you so much…" I said in between kisses and looking for a place to properly fuck my wife. I lifted her up onto the counter and stood between her legs, sliding the silky skirt up to bunch around her thighs to find her already soaking wet.

_Holy fuck balls. This is way too hot for words. It doesn't even matter that we're celebrating our marriage in a bathroom._

_Fuck, what's up with us and bathrooms?_

_Oh, well. At least you're not on the floor this time._

_Fair enough_.

"I can't believe we just got married, Edward," she laughed as she removed my pants and boxers. "I have a husband. I'm a wife!"

"I know, right?" I pushed into her slowly while pressing a soft kiss to her bare shoulder, causing her to break out into goose bumps. "How did I manage to trick you into this?" I groaned pulling back and thrusting back into her incredible warmth as her hands clawed at my neck.

"I have no idea…but I'm sooo glad you did," she panted, her breaths coming in shorter gasps. We were both nearing our climaxes, moving fluidly with one another like a well choreographed dance, our mouths releasing small moans and sighs into one another's necks and lips.

"AH! Oh, God! I'm sorry, I'm sorry, I'm sorry…" The door slammed shut with a loud _bang!_

_No. No, no, no, no, no! I just imagined that voice._

_That'd be incredibly weird. You did NOT imagine that voice, otherwise, I'd be incredibly concerned._

_Shit._

I froze and pulled out of Bella. As hot as I was for my wife, there was no way I was keeping it up after that. I pulled up my pants, glancing at Bella's horrified face. I didn't think I'd ever seen it so red in my entire life. I was positive that mine was the same shade of red as hers, too. Talk about the embarrassments of all embarrassments.

"That was…" I choked out. Bella nodded and gulped. She closed her eyes and laid her head on my shoulder taking deep, steady breaths.

"I'm never leaving this room, Edward," she mumbled into my shoulder.

"Yes you are, Mrs. Cullen." I leaned down and pressed a kiss into her already mussed hair, attempting to soothe away her embarrassment.

_Fuck it. This was OUR day. So what if we were having sex in a bathroom? Weren't we allowed to today of all days?_

Sighing loudly, she hopped off of the counter, adjusted her dress, and wiped the lip-gloss from my mouth before heading out of the bathroom. Outside the bathroom, we were met with the apologetic (slash horrified) green eyes that had caught us mid-thrust.

"Mom."

"Esme—" Bella and I started at the same time. My mom just put up a hand, gesturing for us to stop.

"Carlisle, I REALLY need a cocktail," she called out into the hallway.

"You two really need to learn how to lock doors," Alice laughed, handing off a flute of champagne to my mother, as she pranced her way past us--an incredulous looking Jasper in tow. His expression said it all. Honestly, how could we have not learned by now that we were destined to be interrupted, inappropriately cock blocked, and constantly caught in states of undress?

"That's my boy," my dad laughed clapping a hand on my shoulder. "And my girl," he added, placing his other arm around Bella.

"I thought you knew, mom. Bathrooms are our thing," I deadpanned.

"Edward!" Bella reached across my dad to punch me in the stomach like a little feisty kitten. I finally laughed, thinking that it was sufficed to say that this was a day that none of us would forget. What a way to start a life together, right?

**Cherry Bomb – Ash**

My stomach was in knots. I was on stage at the Roseland Ballroom. Roseland FUCKING Ballroom. I couldn't believe that my hands weren't shaking around my guitar. I mean, they were a little bit…but it was pretty dark, so I was fairly certain that the audience wouldn't be able to tell that. But, seriously. I was gracing the same stage as Nirvana, AC/DC, The Ramones, Madonna…even Paul fucking McCartney had played on this stage. For my first professional gig. Shit.

We were about thirty seconds from show time, and I was still adjusting to the audience's level of cheering. Playing at the bar was loud, but…a real audience was something all together different.

The lights went up, and I led in with the first chords, the booming sound of the amps behind me hurdling through the air. And then, I felt it.

_When she walks across the floor, electric shock and my heart is raw_

_Is she real or just a dream? My heart beats fast like Benzedrine._

_Every time that she walks by sends shivers down my spine._

_Makes me wanna die, oh yeah_.

Bella took the stage, the crowd erupting into cheers. I'm pretty sure they had no idea who she was, but it didn't matter. Bella had that uncanny ability to light up a room without even trying. She sang through the set flawlessly, her confidence growing with each note.

The gig was over far too quickly, and after we made our way off stage, I had no desire to head back to the hotel and "hang out." It was our first night on TOUR…in New York! And I wanted to celebrate.

"Hey, Edward," Riley, our awesome drummer called out. "We're heading out to celebrate with a few drinks. Do you and the Missus wanna join?"

The band thought it was hilarious that Bella and I had gotten hitched, but we'd all gotten so close—they were like a whole other family. They had been at the wedding and had heard all about our less than private escapades in the bathroom…My dad's a chatty one whilst intoxicated.

"I'm right here, Riley." Bella smacked the back of his head as she made her way over to my side. "And the Missus wants to go out…for sure. How was it, guys…be honest…" She looked so adorable all nervous and shit. I just wanted to kiss the nerves right out of her. She had successfully performed a set to a massive audience and was still worried.

"We rocked!" Tyler laughed, throwing his arms around Bella and me, squishing us together tightly.

"Tyler, I can't breathe!" Bella mumbled into my chest.

"Group hug! I want in!" Riley accosted us from the other side, effectively wrapping us up into a huge four-person embrace.

_Such was the ridiculousness of my life_.

We made our way to a small local bar, ordering beers for everyone. Bella got more than a few lusty gazes as we sat at the bar, and I was starting to get pissed…as were Tyler and Riley. Did I mention that we were a little protective of Bella? I saw a hand tap Bella's shoulder, and I almost flew out of my seat.

Who the hell would approach her when she was with a table full of guys? Fucking asshole Manhattan guys, that's who.

_Or not…_

I looked up to see two girls about our age with Bella's CD in hand.

"Um, hi…Bella?" Bella looked up, completely shocked. "Would you mind signing this for me?" the girl asked timidly.

"Oh my God, yes, of course!" Bella smiled, signing the cover of the album.

"And…would you mind taking a picture with us?" the other one asked. Bella stood up, not even bothering to respond, her eyes sparkling with wonder and astonishment. I could tell she was reigning in her excitement. This was absolutely amazing.

"Here, Edward." Bella pushed the camera into my hands.

"Were you guys just at the concert?" I asked, snapping the photo quickly.

"Yeah, thank you so much, Bella. We love you," the girls giggled.

"Thank you for coming to the concert!" Bella shouted as the girls made their way to the other side of the bar. Bella slowly sat back down, eyeing each one of us before breaking into the biggest smile I'd ever seen. "Did that just happen?" she asked incredulously.

"It's only going to get bigger from here," Riley laughed. "This was just your first gig, baby doll. Imagine how it's going to be at the end of the summer!"

"Soon we're going to be beating them off with a stick," Tyler laughed, chugging some of his drink.

And he couldn't have been more correct.

BPOV

**Fame – David Bowie**

_Fame, makes a man take things over_

_Fame, lets him loose, hard to swallow_

"Look who we have here…Ah, it's the music industry's golden couple! Bella, Edward—it's so nice to see you two again," Mary Hart smiled leaning in to kiss us both on the cheek. "Bella, you look beautiful, as always."

"Thanks so much, Mary," I smiled politely.

"So, tell me…how does this feel to be here?" She looked at me pointedly.

"I'm just here for moral support," I laughed linking my arm onto Edwards, latching on for dear life. Going through the press line was one of the most painful and scary experiences I had learned. "It's all about this one tonight." I squeezed Edward's arm, looking up at him. He was the picture of calm. Cool, collected—he showed no nerves whatsoever. It was no surprise that the media took to him so quickly.

"Yes, Edward. Congratulations on your nomination. How does it feel?"

He smiled crookedly, my favorite grin, charming the skirt off of Mary Hart, I'm sure. I could see her swooning from here. "It's a bit surreal," he laughed dragging a hand through his hair—a sure sign he wasn't as calm as he was trying to come off. "But, I'm just excited to be here…and maybe see some of my musical inspirations."

"Oh yeah! Who are you most excited to see?"

Edward looked thoughtful, really pondering the question. His eyes gleamed wickedly, glancing down at me before looking back at Mary. "Well, I know who Bella's most excited to see," he laughed. "Jon Bon Jovi."

I smacked his arm causing him to flinch slightly, and suddenly we were being pushed down the press line, being led into the auditorium to find our seats.

***

I fidgeted for about the third time, pulling at my dress, completely flustered. I felt like a complete fraud. I still didn't know how I had ended up here.

After our summer tour, Jonathan and Jack bid us farewell, saying that Warner Brothers wanted to manage us full time and record another album with us immediately. So, instead of having a normal honeymoon like a normal couple, Edward (plus band) and I were thrust back into the recording studio, working on the most incredible album I had ever heard. Being on the road had been inspirational to Edward's songwriting. The entire tour, he could barely put down his pen. Well, that, and every time we went out, we were attacked by the paparazzi.

Apparently, Perez Hilton was a Bella Swan fan. He had "discovered" me through an anonymous reader sending him the fan website, which was still run by those guys from UW. Yeah, anonymous my ass. Rosalie and her meddling ways could be pretty pushy. I should have hired her as my publicist because seemingly overnight, Bella Swan became a household name. I had never believed in the "insta-success" that seemed to happen for so many celebrities. It seemed impossible and highly unlikely.

I was wrong. It could. Merely days after Perez Hilton featured one of our songs on his blog, Jonathan called me to rave about how our song had been picked up by most major radio stations. I almost had a heart attack. And now, only four months following our radio debut…it was multiplying more than I thought it ever could.

And now I was sitting in the same row as Bono and Josh Groban.

_FRAUD!_

"Bella, stop fidgeting," Edward whispered in my ear. "There's a camera pointed directly on you."

"Way to calm me down, Edward," I hissed back. He rolled his eyes and wrapped his arm around my shoulders before leaning in to kiss my carefully coiffed hair. I had no idea how Edward was so calm. I wasn't nominated for anything, well…not technically. I guess by default I was, but my stomach was rumbling with butterflies for him. I leaned into his side as the presenters continued to read the nominees.

"…and the Grammy for Rock Song Of The Year goes to…Edward Cullen for 'Always,' performed by Bella Swan."

My mouth went dry as I turned to Edward. The picture of calm he had just been had completely faded, and I could feel his hands shaking around me. Tears clouded my vision as I leaned in to kiss him, his green eyes wide with disbelief. I stood quickly, allowing him to walk to the podium to take the gilded gramophone from the hands of Chris Martin.

"Holy fuck!" he bellowed into the microphone. I clapped a hand over my gaping mouth, tears running over my fingers as a comforting hand clasped my shoulder. I looked behind me to see a smiling Katy Perry hand me a tissue.

"Thank you," I mouthed. She smiled as we both sat down again.

"I…I…fuck, Bel, do you see this?" Edward ranted into the microphone, holding up the award for me to see. I couldn't do anything except for smile like an idiot. He deserved it. I'd never been more in love with an album; he worked so hard on those songs, and it clearly showed. "I know that music is probably going to cut me off, but I'm assuming that this is some sort of fluke that's never going to happen again, and I just have a LOT of people to thank, okay?" The crowd laughed as Edward pulled at his hair, his eyes locked on mine the entire time.

"Okay, first, thank you to Jonathan Poneman and Jack Endino for taking a chance on my songs, and obviously Warner Brothers Music and everyone there who put up with my shit. Fuck, you guys are going to have to bleep the hell out of this, aren't you? Oh, God…thanks to my family—my parents, Alice, Emmett, Jasper, Rosalie…And finally, thanks to my beautiful wife who not only inspired this song but an entire journal's worth of songs. And no one could perform them better. I love you, Bella."

My heart thundered in my chest realizing that Edward had just declared his love for me on national television in front of MILLIONS of viewers. I wanted to gloat, but I was too proud and too taken aback to really relish in that fact quite yet.

My phone was vibrating out of control in my black clutch, and I couldn't resist the urge to check. I had sixteen new texts. Seeing that it was a commercial break, I decided to flip through a few.

**Just saw u being interviewed by Ryan Seacrest! U look amazing, btw. He loved ur dress, of course. Wish E luck from me. xo, A**

I laughed. Only Alice would care that Ryan Seacrest liked my dress. Well, actually…I cared a little bit, too. As I continued scrolling, my phone vibrated in my hand with a new text. From Rosalie, of course.

**B, E just impregnated you with that look**.

**Did not**. I typed back quickly.

**Did too! PS-Saw KP hand u a tissue. Too cute. Can u kiss her? I think E and I would like it ;)**

My face heated at her insinuation. "What are you blushing at?"

At his voice, I sprang out of my seat to wrap my arms around his neck and kiss him properly. He smiled against my lips, pressing softly against them again and again.

"I'm so proud of you, bunny."

"Congratulations, Edward," I heard a familiar voice call from behind me. Edward smiled in appreciation, and as I turned around, I saw the unmistakable back of Jon Bon Jovi's head on gorgeously tousled blonde hair.

I gasped instinctively causing Edward to chuckle. "It's a whole new world now, Bel."

**Even Angels Fall – Jessica Riddle**

_It's a secret no one tells; one day it's heaven, one day it's hell._

_It's no fairy tale. Take it from me,_

_That's the way it's supposed to be_.

"Uh huh…um, what?" Edward's eyes widened as he spoke into the phone. "No—n-no," he stuttered. "Sure…of course. Thank you, I just need to discuss that with Bella before I can commit to anything…uh huh. Thanks so much again. Okay, goodbye."

Edward's eyes looked completely panicked. "What?"

"That was the label…they want me to record my own album and go on a fall tour…"

My stomach dropped. It felt like it had fallen through the floor, racing out of my body, plummeting to murky depths it could never be retrieved from. Edward had won a Grammy for his songwriting. Of course the label would want him to perform his own songs. He had become successful in his own right, too.

"I—you…what?" was all I could manage to string together before sitting on the couch. I was in grave fear of my knees giving out at any second.

"Bel, are you okay?" he asked, his eyes laced with concern.

"I, um…what did you tell them?" _Please, tell me you told them no. That you want to write music with your wife forever. That you'd never leave her like that._ My insecurities were piling quickly one on top of the other causing me to lose sight of how selfish my thoughts actually were.

"I said I had to discuss it with you."

"Oh." My hands were shaking. Was I really this co-dependant already that I couldn't handle Edward making his own album?

"Oh?"

"Yeah. Oh. What do you want me to say, Edward?" I could hear my tone getting louder and sharper with each word. Edward flinched momentarily before letting his temper flare out of control.

"Seriously, Bel? I want you to say that you're happy for me! This is pretty fucking awesome, and it kind of sucks that you look like you're going to throw up right now. I'm sorry that I'm finally getting my OWN chance at success. I thought you'd be a little more enthusiastic."

_UGH. This sucks._

"Yeah, well I'm sorry if I'm not as enthused as you are at the idea of losing my songwriter. And my HUSBAND!" I yelled, finally unable to control the anger that had been pooling in the pit of my stomach. Not looking back, I stomped all the way to our bedroom, slamming the door shut behind me. I sank down onto the floor, leaning against the door and cried.

Heavy sobs wracked through my chest making my body convulse. I hid my head in my hands attempting to stifle the noise to no avail. I was too far gone.

I knew that without a doubt I was being a horrible wife and a horrendous bitch, but I couldn't help it. Edward and I had been inseparable for nearly two years. How was I to know what would happen to our relationship when we were apart for weeks or even months at a time?

People always say that marriage takes hard work…but Edward and I had always had everything happen so easily within our relationship. I didn't want to think about what would happen if he didn't want to put in that extra effort.

Through my sniffling, I heard Edward sink down to the floor on the other side of the door, his head falling back with a dull _thud_.

"Bella, please don't cry."

"I'm not crying," I sniffed, making me laugh slightly through my tears.

"I have your entire next album written, Bel. You wouldn't be losing a songwriter, only a guitarist." He paused and I could hear his shaky breath through the vibrations on the wood. "And Bella, you could NEVER lose your husband. You should fucking know that. But if you don't want me to do it, I won't. Please, just don't cry."

I could hear the defeat in his voice, and I knew that there was no way I could let him NOT make his own album. He was too selfless for his own good. Slowly, I slid over and cracked the door open, coming into contact with my favorite mess of crazy copper hair.

"Stop pulling out your hair, Edward. I don't want a bald husband before we even get to age 25." I pulled the door open further, allowing us to both sit comfortably within the doorframe. "I'm sorry," I whispered, coming to kneel between his bent knees. "Of course you should record your own album. I'm sorry I'm so stupid."

His warm lips kissed away my tears, and I could feel his love with every tender touch of his fingers. "You're not stupid," he mumbled into my cheek.

"Yes I am. I'm just going to miss you. I kind of got used to having you around all the time," I joked, pulling at his shirt collar.

"I'm going to miss you, too, but it'd only be for a few months. And we can change our phone plan to unlimited texting, and we can have webcam dates every night. I know we can make this work, Bella."

Resigned, I nodded and relaxed, tension oozing out of my muscles with each lazy stroke of Edward's hand. We sat in a comfortable silence, me placed perfectly in his lap leaning back onto his hard chest. Edward broke the silence.

"That was our first married fight."

"We should probably make up now, then, right?" I asked suggestively.

"Probably," he smirked.

Within seconds, my hands went to unzip his pants as his hands went up my shirt. I thrust my hand into his boxers as he pulled my head back towards his mouth, twisting my head so our lips could attach themselves in a passionate kiss. I would miss Edward, but somehow…I would learn to cope without him for a few months. We could do this. Our relationship was strong. We'd survived Lauren—we could sure as hell survive a little separation.

**Sleep – Azure Ray**

_Fill these spaces up with days_

_in my room you can go you can stay_

_I can't sleep and I can't speak to you_

"Bella!" Alice snapped her manicured fingers in front of my face.

"Hmm?"

"Bella, stop it!" she whisper yelled, stepping directly in front of my view.

I snapped. "Stop what, Alice? Stop missing my husband? It's bad enough that I'm barely sleeping without him and haven't had a non-self induced orgasm in over two months, but now I can't even walk into a grocery store without seeing my name, his name, and DIVORCE splashed across every fucking tabloid I come across."

"P-paper or p-plastic?" the young checkout boy stuttered nervously.

_Wow, you scared the checkout boy. Nicely done, Bella_.

"Paper will be fine," Alice smiled cheerfully. "Bella, you look like hell. When was the last time you slept?" I cringed as her engagement ring sparkled under the harsh fluorescent lighting of the grocery store. Jasper had proposed last week, and while of course I was ecstatic, it only made me miss my own husband that much more. When Alice had come over to tell me her exciting news, she deduced that I wasn't eating properly and had taken it upon herself to become my babysitter.

"I don't know, Alice. I usually try to wait up for Edward's call, but recently he hasn't been calling at all, so…"

Edward was just over the half-way mark of his tour. That meant that I had another month and a half of wallowing, half-heartedly working on the album that Edward had written for me to record…without him.

He had been so busy that we'd barely had time for a weekly webcam date, much less a daily one. Our calling had become sporadic, and even our texts had become sad and boring. Thank God for the internet. I kept tabs on my own husband, watching him go out to dinner and drink and shop and get coffee all through celebrity blogs.

The downside to that, though, was that with Edward touring and me at home…the media had suddenly turned on us, plaguing the gossip world with rumors of infidelity, separation, and divorce. Of course, none of them were even remotely true. But it was completely frustrating when a picture of Edward meeting for lunch with his tour manager, Victoria, suddenly became, "EDWARD DINES WITH NEW GIRLFRIEND."

And it was really starting to wear on me. I'd taken to barely leaving the house, for fear of being photographed…alone…and having that end up on the cover of some magazine. As Alice put away my groceries, I flopped down onto the couch to power up my computer. Edward and I were FINALLY going to have our weekly webcam date tonight.

At that thought, my phone vibrated with a new text from Edward.

**Can't webcam tonight. Emergency sound check at new venue. Rain check til tomorrow? Love you, E.**

My frustration boiled over. I threw my phone across the room, the sound of it skidding across the floor the only sound in the room. As I looked up at Alice's concerned face, my anger melted into sadness. I knew that having Edward on tour without me was going to be hard, but I didn't take into consideration exactly how MUCH I'd miss him.

"He can't webcam tonight," I sighed sadly. "Something about an emergency sound check—"

And suddenly, the little pixie was on top of me. No. Really. Straddling me, on top of me, arms thrown around my neck. It was the most action my lap had seen in months, sadly.

"Bella, I refuse to let you sit at home and be sad. You're 25, woman! You are young, and I want to party!" she chirped.

"No, no partying…"

"Yes, partying," she insisted using the Cullen pout. I had yet to master it.

"Fine, but I don't really feel like dressing up, or leaving the house for that matter," I acquiesced.

"Of course, Bella!" Alice leaned in to kiss my cheek, still perched atop my lap as I heard a loud gasp.

"Fuck, yes!" Jasper gaped from the now open doorway.

_How did that happen?_

"What are you—oh, gross, Alice!" Emmett babbled as he pushed his way into the apartment.

"Ooo, I want in!" Rosalie bounded over to the couch, leaping on top of us, causing me to break into laughter for what felt like the first time in weeks.

"What are you all doing here?"

"We miss you, Bella," Emmett smiled as he unpacked two handles of vodka.

"Whoa, that's a shit ton of booze, Em. Who's drinking all of that?"

"We are!" Rosalie cheered getting up from her precarious position on the couch to help Emmett pour the drinks.

"There's no way we're drinking that much…" Although drinking did sound pretty awesome right about now.

"We can, and we will," Emmett scoffed. "Jazz, show Bella her present…"

Jasper plopped down on the loveseat next to me before holding out a new DVD copy of Pocahontas. I almost cried.

"Pocahontas drinking game!" Alice cheered rolling off of my lap and onto Jasper's.

"Okay, I'll bite. Tell me the rules."

"Drink whenever Grandmother Willow says something that could be in a fortune cookie," Rosalie said as she handed me my vodka cranberry. "Whenever Pocahontas defies the laws of physics, whenever they say 'the beating drum,' and any time you realize that Thomas is gay…trust me, you'll be wasted within the first fifteen minutes."

***

"Ohhh, look at Pocahontas's hair, how it flies around her—I think it's defying gravity…DRINK!" Rosalie slurred.

"Oh, no! We're out of vodka!" Jasper looked genuinely upset as he held up the empty handle for us to see.

"Baby, there's another handle in the freezer…"

"Sweet," Jasper sighed, wiping away the fake beads of sweat from his forehead in relief.

We were only forty minutes into the movie, but I think it was sufficed to say we were completely sloshed. I loved my friends. Tonight had definitely been more fun than hanging out by myself (slash stalking Edward online).

"I love you guys," I smiled as I laid my head down onto Rosalie's lap. I could feel my eyes falling closed, a soft haze filling my head, as Rosalie raked her fingers through my hair. If I concentrated hard enough, I could almost believe they were Edward's fingers in my hair.

"Love you too, Bella," I heard before I finally succumbed to my elusive sleep.

EPOV

**Tracks and Tunnels – The Softies**

_Tracks and tunnels covered in snow_

_I should have gone home a long time ago_

_This seemingly endless fight ends tomorrow night_

"Edward, you look like utter shit," Alice yelled at me over the phone…again. "Are you even enjoying your tour? Every time I see another picture of you, you look like you want to kill yourself. If you're not having fun, please come home! We miss you. Bella misses you. Did you know that I have to go grocery shopping with her every week otherwise she won't leave the house?"

"What?" I fumed. "She hasn't told me ANY of that, Alice! What the hell?"

"Yeah, well, I'm on my way to her right now, so you can thank me for that later."

"Thanks, Alice…I guess. We have a webcam date later tonight, so get her fed before then, okay?" I sighed. I knew that this was no one's fault. But it was true. I was fucking miserable on tour without Bella. I never realized how lonely traveling by myself would be.

"Sure thing, Edward. Talk to you later. Love you!" she chirped before hanging up on me.

I had been getting pissed off messages from Alice for the past three weeks talking about what an ass I am, what a sell out I'd become. How could I be a sell out at age 26? Had I really changed so much?

_Apparently. Do you enjoy playing your album at all?_

_No…_

_Yeah, thought not._

My heart felt like it'd been ripped from my chest, left behind in Seattle as my body jumped from city to city around the nation. Bella would always be my constant, and I physically hurt without her here. Playing didn't hold the same thrill it did when Bella was on stage with me, and my songs sounded flat in my own voice. I needed her sultry tones to make them come alive. Somehow, my songs had become inextricably intertwined with Bella, and I hadn't realized that until I had been separated from her. It sucked.

And to make myself even more depressed, I decided to sit down at my computer to stalk Bella through the internet.

_What a fabulous husband I am, right?_

I pushed past the crazy rumors about myself only to stumble upon a picture of Bella staring at a magazine covered with slanderous lies about our relationship. Alice was right—she had lost weight. How had I not noticed?

For the fifth time, I checked my watch, hoping it was time to finally web chat with her, when my phone suddenly started ringing.

_Ugh, Victoria…._

"This is Edward," I answered curtly. Maybe she would leave me alone if I acted like I was busy.

"Hey, Edward, we need you back down at the venue ASAP. They brought in some new equipment and we need to do another sound check." I groaned. "See you in 20!" She was far too chipper for me right now.

With a heavy heart, I sadly typed out a text to Bella explaining that I wouldn't be able to chat with her tonight. Hopefully Alice would be able to keep her company until I could call her later. As if the gods knew I needed to be smote (smited?), my phone vibrated with an incoming text message.

**Ur an ass. I'm getting her drunk. Call when you can. xo, A**

Bella never texted back. Not that I really expected her to, but…it still stung a little bit. The sound check was fairly quick, and I was back in my hotel room after only two hours, thank god.

I looked at the clock, seeing it was still pretty early. I took a quick shower, not even having the energy to touch myself, even though it'd been over two months since I'd gotten any. So sad. And hopped into bed.

_Ring…ring…ring…_

"Hey, broseph!" Emmett's voice rang out.

"Em?" I asked, confused. I checked my phone. Yes, I had called Bella.

"We miss you, Eddie!" he slurred.

"Emmett, are you drunk? And why do you have Bella's phone. Is she okay?" I rapidly fired off my questions getting progressively more worried each second.

"Drunk, drunk, drunk…yeahhhh, Pocahontas drinking game at your apartment! Soooo much fun. So much vodka," he laughed.

"Emmett," I snapped. "Can I talk to Bella please?"

"She's sleeping on Rosie's lap. They look so cute. Like little kittens allll curled up. It's kinda hot…" he trailed off.

This wasn't getting me anywhere.

"Can you wake her up for me…please?" I knew I sounded desperate, but I felt like I was hanging on by a thread.

"Dude, honestly," he began, putting on his most serious voice, "I can't. I don't even know when the last time she slept was. Girl just downed her vodka and passed the fuck out. She needs her rest, man." I drew in a shaky breath. We were both in pain. So, why was I doing this again? I could no longer remember. All I knew is that I needed to get to Bella…and fast. "Where are you again, Edward? I can't remember."

"Uh…I'm in LA…listen, Emmett. I gotta go, but take care of yourself, okay?"

"Sure thing, bro. We miss you!"

_Not for long_, I thought.

**London Rain – Heather Nova**

_So keep me. Keep me in your bed all day…all day_

_Nothing heals me like you do_.

I had no idea what I had just done. I was surely going to get into TONS of trouble, but I couldn't help it. My key clicking into my apartment lock was like a symphony to my ears. I pushed open the door and was assaulted by the stale smell of vodka.

_Did I accidentally get on a plane to Russia?_

My living room was truly a sight to behold. Jasper and Alice were passed out on our small loveseat, snoring softly, an empty handle of vodka on the table in front of them with shot glasses scattered around it. Emmett was passed out, face first on our kitchen floor, probably drooling everywhere. He and vodka never were friends.

And then…there she was. Emmett was right. She and Rosalie were curled up like little kittens on the couch, Rosalie's arms around Bella's shoulders. I had never been happier to see her in my entire life. I couldn't bring myself to wake her, so instead, I decided to move her to our bed where she could sleep more comfortably.

My arms scooped her up from the couch easily, and I cradled her to my chest allowing her head to lean onto me for support. Shock waves went through my body, igniting every cell, reminding me why the hell I could never be away from her ever again. I honestly tried not to wake her, but my lips would not be denied. They pressed softly to her forehead, then down her cheek, to her nose…and finally rested on her luscious, pouting mouth.

It felt like truly coming home. I was about to pull away when I felt her arms move around my neck, her lips coming to life beneath mine.

"Edward," she sighed into my mouth, her eyes still closed softly. Our kiss deepened quickly as I walked us across the room, shutting the door behind me. I carefully pushed off my shoes before placing her down on the bed, never allowing my lips to leave hers.

I was a talented and dedicated man because somehow, I managed to pull my jeans off whilst still attached to her mouth, matching each stroke of her tongue with equal fervor. Finally free of my constraints, I leaned my hips into hers, attempting to gain isome/i sort of friction.

"Oh, God, Bella…" I moaned into her mouth. I felt like I was on fire.

She sat up suddenly, her eyes flying open as she pushed me off of her. "Edward?" she asked incredulously. Laughter spilled from my lips. She had been asleep. I knew Bella was a deeper sleeper than that! Her eyes widened and she flew at me, knocking us both backwards onto the bed. "Edward!"

She placed small kisses all around my face as she tugged at my hair, causing the most delicious pain. I had missed this too much. Never again.

"I'm not dreaming, right?" she whimpered quietly. "I mean, I know I was drunk, but not even my dreams are this realistic."

"Not dreaming. I promise," I said, punctuating each word with a sloppy kiss. She glanced quickly at the clock and then back at me, her head cocking to the side in question.

"It's three o'clock in the morning, Edward."

"It is," I nodded, slipping my hands under her shirt…where they belonged always.

"When do you have to leave?" Her entire face fell. I was having NONE of that.

"I'm not going back, Bel."

"What? Edward, you can't do that!"

"Yes I can. We can tell them that I've had a mental breakdown or I need to go to rehab for exhaustion. The media can have a fucking field day for all I care, but I'm not leaving you again."

With that, her lips recaptured my own. Clothing was quickly shed, and I was soon pressed against Bella's hot skin. I intertwined both of our hands, moving them above her head as I lowered myself onto her heaving chest. I was like a starved man in a desert. My mouth couldn't get enough of her. It touched every inch of her chest before moving lower to her stomach, bringing our intertwined hands down over her heart. It beat fast and hard underneath my palm, centering me with each steady vibration.

"Bella, you're so skinny," I commented, pressing my lips to her hollowed out stomach.

"I know, I'm sorry I haven't been eating well…or sleeping well," she sighed as my lips continued to caress her milky flesh.

"We're going to work on that, starting tomorrow, okay?" I mumbled, feeling her skin warm beneath my cheek.

As I extracted my hands from hers to run down them her sides, her skin breaking into goose bumps, my erection throbbed, tired of being ignored.

_I hear you, buddy_.

"Thank you, Edward," she smiled, her brown eyes glistening with unshed tears.

Savoring each small touch, I entered her slowly…so slowly. She felt better than I remembered. And so much fucking better than my overused hand. I leaned down to nip at her neck, right under her "magic spot," causing her to clench around me tightly.

I moved slowly within her, trying to prolong the moment for as long as I possibly could. I knew we were both exhausted and would most likely pass out immediately following our reunion, and I wanted to make it count.

Bella felt similarly, rolling us over so she could sit on top of me, slowing our pace even further. She leaned her chest down to meet mine, the pebbled hardness of her nipples scraping along my skin sending sparks flying everywhere. Our reunion wasn't explosive. No, it was a slow growing fire, stoking the fading embers, reigniting our passion before it could burn out.

"I love you, Bella…I love you…I love you," I chanted into her shoulder, kissing the soft skin reverently.

"Ah…me…too—oh, yesss, Edward…" Bella moved her mouth to mine, sucking at my bottom lip as she came apart, clenching and throbbing above me. "Your turn," she whispered into my ear softly. I released into her, long and hard, unable to hold on any longer.

"Bella," I breathed as she collapsed onto me, smiling uncontrollably.

For the first time in months, I slept soundly with Bella wrapped in my arms, completely content.

***

"Bellllaa…I made cheddar omelets for your hango—MOTHERFUCKING HELL, Edward, put some clothes on!" The bedroom door slammed loudly, leaving only Emmett's disgusted voice in its wake.

"Edward's home?" I heard Alice's muffled shriek and chuckled softly, running my fingers through Bella's hair. She groaned and nuzzled her head into my chest, scrunching her nose as I pulled the comforter over both of us, shielding our naked bodies from Emmett's possible return.

"So loud," she rasped out breathily. Then she looked into my eyes and smiled, truly lighting up the room…and lifting my cock out of its slumber. "You're really home?" she asked, fisting her small hand around my length.

"Holy shit, yes…" I cupped the back of her neck, bringing her lips to mine once more. They had been apart for far too long.

"Yup, Edward's home all right," Jasper laughed from our now open doorway standing next to an equally amused Alice.

"This feels oddly familiar," she smirked, reminding me of the first morning she had found Bella and me in bed together.

"I know what you mean," Jasper smiled.

"Okay, get your naked asses out here cause I made delicious breakfast, bitches!" Emmett called from the kitchen.

It was good to be home.

**Human Behavior – Bjork**

_Be ready to get confused_

_There's definitely no logic_

_To human behavior_

"We need to take a grocery break!" I panted as Bella's hand went for my still engorged cock.

"But bunny…" she whined attempting to grasp my steadily rising dick again. My head rolled back in acceptance, letting her stroke me lightly. My wife had finally perfected the Cullen Pout. Seriously, it was frightening how I couldn't say 'no' to her. In fact, my wife was so insatiable since I quit my tour in October, we barely got out of bed at all. I'm pretty sure we only stopped having sex to sleep, eat, shower, or use the bathroom. It was amazing.

_Seriously. Why would you complain about the massive quantities of sex you've been having?_

Quitting the tour had been the best thing that had ever happened to me…and to Warner Brothers, too. Their publicity department had had a field day with me spreading rumors of hospitalization, rehab…anything you could think of. Plus, they were covertly working on Bella's new album now to include me once again. They called it my "great comeback." Great comeback? Comeback from what? I was only 26 fucking years old. But, anyway, the label had requested that I stay in and not be in the media, so they could reintroduce me to the press when Bella's album came out…and Bella and I were more than happy to oblige. Hence, the sexing.

But today, we actually needed to get out of bed. Like…twenty minutes ago.

"No, Bella, for real. We need to get groceries. Everyone should be here for New Years lunch in like two hours, and our refrigerator is _empty_. So…up we go," I grumbled, removing her hand from me.

_Tragic. You're still your own cockblock_.

I looked up at Bella, whose eyes were now filled with tears. She crossed her arms angrily and continued to pout.

"Are you really going to use The Pout on me right now?" She was trying to ignore me, but I saw the corners of her mouth twitch upwards slightly. "Bel, you were the one who suggested we dine here today instead of going out, so…up you go!" I laughed, lifting her off the bed from under her arms like a small child.

"I'm punishing you later, Edward Cullen," she said, pulling on her clothes. I couldn't resist. I crept up on her and placed my hands at her waist, bringing her body flush against my chest.

"Promise?" I whispered before nudging my nose into the crook of her neck. Predictably, her body relaxed and melted into mine, her head moving to give me easier access to her neck. Instead of giving in, though, I stepped back coolly and put on my own clothes.

After I finished dressing, I was met with Bella's pissed off face.

_Uh oh. Are we in trouble?_

_I think we might be…shit_.

"I'm sorry, Bella," I scrambled, reaching out to hug her. "You know I would love nothing more than to spend the rest of our lives completely naked, but somehow…I don't think Emmett would appreciate that today." I grinned, hoping to crack her unusually cool exterior.

"Such a tease," she mumbled, finally giving into my irresistible charms.

_Wow, Cullen, your modesty has only grown over the years._

_Clearly. Ha._

Shopping took barely any time at all, since Bella had the entire menu planned out in advance. We were having a huge brunch. Bagels and smoked salmon for Rosalie and Alice, omelets for me and Bella, waffles for Emmett and Jasper, as well as hash browns, strawberries, and enough syrup to feed a nation. We were definitely going to be eating brunch food for the next week, at least.

"This looks delicious, Bel," I smiled as she continued to cook. Apparently in my absence, she had taken up cooking. Not eating, though, although we had been working on that (as I'd promised) and she was almost back to normal Bella size.

"Thanks," she smiled, her happiness warming the room around us. Just then, there was a loud knock at the door signaling the arrival of our family. "Can you get that?" I nodded and made my way to the door quickly, knowing that Emmett was probably ready to eat a bear this late in the afternoon.

"Yesss," he cheered, barging his way past me to the kitchen to begin his feasting.

There was a chorus of 'Happy New Year' and a multitude of hugs and kisses as we all piled around the table (Emmett the first one sitting, of course), ready to eat.

"Wow, this looks delicious," Rosalie smiled, holding up her bagel and smoked salmon. You couldn't pay me to eat that, but…to each their own, right?

"That _does_ look delicious," Bella commented.

"Want a bite?" Rosalie offered, her eyes wide with…an emotion I couldn't really place…suspicion, confusion, awe? I'd have to further analyze later.

"No," I responded for Bella. "Bella doesn't eat creatures from the sea. They creep her out," I laughed.

"Maybe? One?" I was shocked. "What? Aren't you supposed to try foods you don't like again because your tastes change every seven years or something?"

Rosalie nodded, handing off the bagel. Bella took a small bite, crinkling her nose with obvious distaste. "Yeah," she laughed, handing the bagel back to Rosalie, "I guess my tastes haven't changed yet."

"So," I turned to Jasper. It had been a while since I'd caught up with my best friend. "What's the deal with your wedding? Do you guys have a date set yet? Or is this just going to be the engagement that never ends?" I joked.

With that, Alice glared at Jasper, and I could tell I had unintentionally hit a touchy spot.

_Oops_.

"Yeah, Jasper…" she scowled.

"Hey, Bella, can I talk to you a second?" Rosalie asked, cocking her head towards our bedroom. Bella narrowed her eyes, and I wondered what the hell that was all about…but…they were weird. She and Rosalie had always had this bizarre unspoken closeness that I'd probably never understand.

"Excuse us," Bella muttered as Rosalie pulled her away from the table, shutting the door behind her.

I sat at the table as Alice and Jasper continued to argue about wedding plans and Emmett shoveled food into his mouth. I missed Bella already. Under the guise of "clearing the table," I headed to my bedroom, taking advantage of the fact that Alice and Jasper were thoroughly distracted. I knew I would get in serious trouble for eavesdropping.

I cracked the door open to listen to a ranting Bella as Rosalie sat on the edge of our bed, looking amused.

"…and I HATE smoked salmon, Rose. I DISPISE it, but I wanted to down that whole fucking bagel, and then some. And did you see Edward's face? All suspicious. He knows me too well for me to try and pull this shit…"

"So, why don't you just tell him already? It's been like two weeks." I couldn't see her, but I could almost hear Bella rolling her eyes at Rose. It was fairly hilarious. And I now knew without a doubt that I shouldn't be listening to a private conversation that I was clearly the topic of, but I couldn't peel myself away.

"Yeah, okay," Bella quipped. "Because it's just so easy like that."

"It is!" Rosalie insisted.

"What do I say? Um, hey, Edward…I just thought you should know, I'm back to my normal weight not because of all the food you've been feeding me but because I'm pregnant with your demon spawn? Get real, Rose."

_Did she just say…?_

The plate in my hand slipped out of my grasp and shattered onto the floor, every muscle in my body completely frozen in overwhelming shock. Both rooms went silent, Alice and Jasper ceasing their bickering, and I knew I'd been caught.

"Edward?" Emmett called from the table, "Are you okay, man?"

I heard Bella's sharp inhalation and the door opened all the way. Bella's arms were crossed protectively over her chest, and I could see Rosalie still sitting on the bed stifling her laughter—one hand clapped over her mouth.

"Surprise?" Bella looked up at me nervously.

"Seriously?" I whispered, still somewhat holding my breath. She bit down on her lip and peered from underneath her thick fringe of lashes…her trademark nervous habit…and nodded ever so slightly. If I hadn't been paying attention, I would have missed it. That's how little she moved.

And then I realized something. She was nervous to tell me about this. Which was completely ridiculous. Because although I was fucking scared shitless (which I really, truly was), another emotion was also bubbling up inside me. I was filled with some sort of pride, happiness…elation?

A slow smile spread across my face, and within seconds, Bella's legs were wrapped around my waist, her arms around my neck as she pressed feather light kisses over my jaw and neck.

"You're pregnant?" I whispered into her cheek.

"I'm pregnant!" Her tone was jubilant, alerting everyone in the room as to what just happened.

"What?" Alice screeched, barreling across the room and into my side. "We need to call mom and dad." Alice started dialing her phone, but I was able to close it with one hand and push her away.

"Everybody out…" I yelled over my shoulder. I could feel Bella's heated gaze on me, undressing me with her eyes. And God damn it, we were going to celebrate without familial interruptions for the first time…well, ever.

BPOV

**The Luckiest – Ben Folds**

_And where was I before the day that I first saw your lovely face?_

_Now I see it everyday_

_And I know that I am the luckiest._

I pulled into my driveway, surprised that after only a year, Chicago already felt like home.

"So, this is it," I beamed, linking my arm with Jake's as I led him into our house through the garage.

"Sweet deal, Bells. You guys are shacking up family style now…it's weird," he laughed, cocking an eyebrow as he threw a large arm around my shoulder. "Now, where's Penny?"

I stopped in my tracks. "I'm sorry." I turned to face Jake quickly. "What did you just call my daughter?"

"Um, yeah…it's what Emmett calls her," he replied awkwardly tugging at the hem of his shirt. "You know, cause of the hair?"

I smiled. Although it was clear that our daughter was going to be a mini-me, she had definitely received Edward's hair genes. Even as an infant, we couldn't get her shiny copper hair to cooperate and lay down flat.

"Plus, you gave her some crazy rock star child name like Apple or Moses," Jake continued.

"Emerson isn't a crazy name, Jake." I was angry. It had taken FOREVER for Edward and I to agree on a name. We both knew that we wanted her to have the name of a musician we both admired. Edward REALLY wanted to name her Gavin, but I decided that I wasn't ready to challenge gender stereotypes with a name. He finally acquiesced when I said that he could give her whatever middle name he wanted. So, at 5:47 on August 9th, Emerson Rachel Cullen was born and named—thank you Keith Emerson and Rachel Yamagata.

"Whatever, Bells. Emerson Cullen? Eugh. I'm sticking with Penny. She'll thank me for it eventually."

I rolled my eyes, knowing which battles weren't worth fighting and led Jake back to our TV room only to find a sleeping Edward and Emerson laying on the couch. I'm pretty sure I visibly melted at the sight. Edward had been so good with her, it was amazing.

After I had gotten pregnant, we sat down and had a long conversation about our careers. Obviously, working as a professional musician with a child is a little different. We decided that we were going to be baller and go on tour whilst pregnant. Seriously. I felt like motherfucking MIA walking on stage with like…two of me (that's how huge I was), but after Edward's "comeback," the media was happy to see us so happy and in love.

"It's still really fucking weird for me to see that," Jake whispered, nodding towards the sleeping duo. I had to admit; it was a little weird for me, too.

A week after our tour finished, Emerson came, and Edward decided that he had had enough of partying like a rock star. He said that he wanted to be a composer, a songwriter, and a stay at home dad. And that's when we decided to move to Chicago. It felt natural, for him to finally come home…like coming full circle. Plus, Esme loved the fact that she was only a 15-minute drive away from her only grandchild. Which, of course meant that the rest of the family HAD to follow. And now we had all relocated.

I leaned down, picking up a few toys and books that had been scattered across the floor as Jake continued to ask me about my life. I hadn't seen him since Emerson was born, and it was nice to catch up.

Finally, I heard Emerson stirring and picked her up off of Edward's chest before she could wake him up. Poor baby was up all night writing. I guess when the inspiration hits, time of day is no matter.

"Hi, baby," I smiled and kissed the top of her head as she rubbed at her sleepy eyes, leaning on my shoulder for support. I hitched her up a little bit, and I could feel her tiny hands squeezing my shoulder to get my attention. For a one year old, she was damn smart. Clearly took after her mother.

"Mama," she yawned before settling her startled gaze on Jake.

"Whoa, that's insane." Jake was in awe, looking back and forth between us. Edward did that on a daily basis, and it always made me smile. "She's going to be such a heart breaker, Bells. I bet Edward's kicking himself in the balls," he laughed.

"Every day…" Edward kissed my cheek. "Jake."

"Edward. Thanks for having me out here."

Edward made a dismissive hand gesture before wrapping his arm around my waist.

"It's not every day someone I know is in talks to get traded to the Chicago Bears," Edward smiled.

Jake's eyes widened. "How'd you…?"

"Emmett," they both laughed together. It was still weird to see them getting along, even all these years later.

"You rang?" Emmett shouted boisterously, running down the hall to attempt to tackle Jake from behind.

Emerson was completely alert now, taking in everyone around her. Her eyes wide and curious. I was really going to have to talk to the boys about cleaning up their behavior. She was now at the imitation phase.

"Hey, Penny," Emmett cooed.

"Her name is Emerson!" Edward hid a laugh, letting me know that he, too, had known about Emmett's nickname for her.

"It's kinda cute," he smirked. I scowled. "What? It's a musical name, too. Penny Lane, Penny and Me, Pretty Penny, Penny Is Poison…"

"Thank you for sharing your vast music library with us, Edward, but it's not her name," I replied adamantly.

"See Bells," Jake snickered. "Your husband likes the name Emmett picked out better than the one you did."

"That's not true…" Edward muttered.

But it didn't matter. I knew that from that day forth, my daughter would hence be known as Penny.

**Mary Beth Maziarz – Better Than Anyone**

_You know me better than anyone_

_Anyone ever so far_

_You show me the things I never see_

_Thanks for completing me the way that you do_.

My body ached with the exhaustion of an eight hour flight. I missed my husband. I missed my daughter. I missed my house…and my bed. God, my bed. I missed sleeping well. I even missed having my silent competitions in the shower so small ears wouldn't hear us doing dirty things to one another.

It had been two weeks since Edward and Penny returned to Chicago, leaving Riley and Tyler to keep me entertained in London. Needless to say, my webcam got a good work out. I think it was safe to say that I was not planning on touring in the near future. As a performer, I was feeling pretty spent. Six years working without a vacation will do that to you, though, I guessed.

I opened the door to hear Penny's adorable little laugh. Most likely laughing at something Edward was doing. She was definitely daddy's little girl.

"What do you want for breakfast, baby?" I crept towards the kitchen, watching Edward hold up boxes of cereal for her to choose from. She sat in her chair, crossing her arms, shaking her head 'no' at each one.

"Come on, Pen," Edward sighed exasperatedly. "You've gotta help me out here. What do you want?"

"Um…" She scrunched her nose, narrowing her pretty brown eyes to demonstrate how deep in thought she was. I almost laughed, but I was having too much fun watching them interact. "Waffles, please. And syrup."

"Waffles?" He held up a box of frozen waffles, smiling devilishly. "Good choice." He leaned down to kiss her mop of copper hair, which had somehow transformed into perfect ringlets over the three short years of her life.

Soon, Edward put the waffles on a plate in front of her, cutting everything up in small bits. Then, as he was pouring the syrup, the top accidentally came off, letting mass quantities of the sugary liquid to spill over her breakfast.

"Daddy!" she exclaimed, clapping her hands to her cheeks in shock.

"Woops. Eh…it's okay," he laughed, popping a syrup soaked piece of waffle into his mouth. "Just don't tell your mom."

"Don't tell your mom what?" I finally made my presence known. Penny pushed out her chair and was jumping into my arms faster than a speeding bullet. Alice had already had a major influence on her sneakiness. I could tell.

"Mama, I'm all sticky," she frowned, her fingers splayed out for me to see.

"Sorry," Edward mouthed. I couldn't help but shake my head and laugh at him. He looked so damn guilty. It was hilarious.

"I see that," I laughed placing her tiny feet back on the floor. "Why don't you go wash your hands, and then we can fix breakfast."

Without even so much as a nod, she was off, running through the house, peels of laughter floating through the air.

"So, how long have you been standing there?"

I walked towards him and pushed myself up onto the kitchen counter while he cleaned off the syrupy plate. "Did you know that I had a very similar fantasy…actually, almost identical to what just happened right this very second…the morning after we first had sex." I blushed remembering the absolute absurdity and inappropriateness of my future fantasy at the time. It's weird how some things turn out.

"Really?" He stepped between my legs, placing his hands on my thighs and pushing up slightly.

"Yup. I walked out of your bedroom and saw you making French toast, and I imagined that one day you'd be doing the same for our future baby," I smiled, pushing his hair out of his eyes and leaned down to capture his lips with mine.

"That's absolutely terrifying," he laughed pulling away from me. "I'm so glad you never told me that. I would have run away screaming." He smirked, his emerald eyes gleaming with an unspoken challenge.

"Stop talking, Edward." With that, I pulled his t-shirt collar towards me, pushing my tongue into his mouth, tasting the sugary sweetness of the syrup on his tongue. I knotted my hands in his hair, bringing him closer to my body, needing his touch desperately.

"Missed you," he groaned into my mouth before diving back into our heated kiss. I could feel myself growing wet with anticipation and slid my legs wider to try and rub up against him.

_A little friction would do wonders for my sexual frustration right now._

His hands moved over my shirt to graze across my breasts as his warm mouth moved to my neck.

"Yessss," I groaned, pulling his hair closer to my neck, securing it there. His teeth came down on my neck, biting lightly before using his tongue to soothe over it. It was sheer bliss. "Please…" I begged.

"Mama, I'm all clean!" I heard a tiny, perky voice call from the doorway. Then she gasped. "Daddy, are you being naughty?"

"What?" Edward's eyes widened as his head whipped around to face our cross looking daughter.

"I saw you, Daddy!" she yelled petulantly. "Jake said that" she pointed to Edward's arms still on my thighs and ass, "is naughty. Leave mama alone."

She looked so upset, and so did Edward. His once hopeful eyes faded as he leaned his head down onto my shoulder.

"I _hate_ Jake," he growled into my shoulder before kissing it lightly.

"Daddy wasn't being naughty," I explained, hopping off the counter. "Daddy loves me. Right? Can I get a kiss please?" Edward just smiled and kissed my cheek happily. "See, baby?" She looked somewhat appeased, so I decided to change the topic. "Breakfast now?"

"Um, I think I'm actually going to go take a shower," Edward grimaced. I giggled to myself knowing exactly what he was off to do. Some habits die hard.

EPOV

**My Little Corner of the World – Yo La Tengo**

_Come along with me to my little corner of the world_

_Dream a little dream in my little corner of the world_

_You'll soon forget that there's any other place_

_Tonight, my love, we'll share a sweet embrace_

"What's this one for?" Bella asked, tears smudging her darkly lined eyes.

"Oh, I just liked the song and wanted to put it on a mix for you." I smiled as she smacked my arm.

"Thank you for my present, Edward. That was kind of amazing."

"Only kind of?" She rolled her eyes and leaned onto my shoulder. But, we were already at our destination. Bella sat up, completely alert as a valet opened her car door for her, helping her out.

"Edward?" she asked suspiciously. "We're at the Four Seasons."

"Are we?"

"This is too nice!" She crossed her arms like a petulant child looking uncannily similar to our five-year-old daughter.

"Come on, Bel. Stop being a spoil sport."

I took her hand, gently leading her through the lobby, attempting to hide Bella a little bit. My wife was too big of a star for her own good. Too many people recognized her. And although she hadn't been working for the past two years (no, I was the official money maker of the family now, ha!), she was still a huge star in her own right. Several people did double takes on our two-minute walk through the lobby.

As we approached the restaurant, the hostess's eyes went slightly wide before she was able to completely compose herself.

"Welcome to Seasons, Mr. and Mrs. Cullen," she smiled happily, putting on her best hostess smile. "We have everything set up for you. If you'll just follow me…"

Bella eyed me skeptically, but I just winked and grabbed her hand and followed the hostess. As soon as she opened the door to our private room, Bella and I were almost knocked backwards by two little arms flying at Bella's legs.

"Happy Birthday, mama!" Bella's mouth dropped open in surprise as she pried Penny's arms from around her calves.

"Thank you, Penny," she smiled glancing sideways at me. Penny took a big step back before smirking evilly at me.

"Did I do a good job, daddy?" She looked up at me earnestly.

"You did a great job, Pen," I laughed, hitching her up onto my hip.

"So…do I get my pink Power Wheels?" Yes, I had bribed my daughter to keep her mother's surprise party a secret. But…she's a REALLY chatty one, and I needed a way to keep her quiet all day. Bribery seemed like the best option.

"Of course, baby." I nuzzled my nose into her hair, the floral scent of her shampoo making me smile.

"I knew Rosalie would never offer to babysit," Bella laughed. She leaned in to kiss me chastely, but I couldn't control my excitement. I put one hand over Penny's eyes, ignoring her soft giggle as I deepened my kiss with Bella. Bella hummed with pleasure into my mouth as I met her tongue with mine.

"Eww." Penny kicked her small party shoe clad feet back and forth squirming in my grasp, her eyes still covered. Bella pressed her lips to mine once more before pulling back and kissing Penny's cheek.

"Not 'eew,' Penny. Some day you're going to want a boy to kiss you, too," Bella giggled in between more kisses to Penny's cheeks.

_What? There will be NO boys kissing Penny…umm…ever._

My face must have given away my panic because Bella just threw her head back laughing, realizing exactly what I was going to have to cope with in the future. Boys like ME were going to be after my gorgeous daughter. I felt ill.

"No," Penny spoke up looking incredibly serious. "I only want kisses from Daddy." She tilted her head to the side, leaning her cheek up towards the ceiling.

My heart exploded in my chest. I knew she wouldn't be five forever, but I was sure as hell going to enjoy it while I could. If she only wanted kisses from me…who was I to argue with her? Although, I was by no means the only man in her life. No, Penny had been spoiled from day one by my father, Emmett, Jasper, and Jake. Especially Jake. She was his little princess and partner in crime all rolled up into one adorable looking package. Bella often joked that Penny was going to be the only girl in his life. That boy had really taken to the life of a professional football player, and it seemed like a different cheerleader graced his arm every month. Leah had just been the first of many. And when I mean many…I mean MANY…like more girls than I had EVER been with. Surprisingly enough, it didn't bother me anymore. And I took every opportunity I could to call him a whore. Bella LOVED that one.

Laughing, I leaned in to press a loud kiss to Penny's cheek causing both her and Bella to break into giggles. "See, Bel? She only wants kisses from _me_. I'm a good kisser," I bragged.

Bella rolled her eyes but her smile gave her away. I knew for a fact that along with whining and pouting, seeing me and Penny together agitated Bella in the best of ways. "Thank you for my surprise, bunny," she smiled appreciatively.

All I could think about was being alone with Bella, but that would have to wait until after dinner. Resigned, I pushed the door open all the way to reveal our entire family sitting at a large table, waiting for our arrival. Alice hopped out of her seat swiftly to extract Penny from my arms and placed her back on the ground.

"Edward! You'll wrinkle her dress!" Alice scolded me before leaning in to kiss Bella's cheek. "Happy birthday, Bella. Do you like your present?" She grinned mischievously at Bella, nodding slightly towards her dress.

"This is your design?" Bella looked down in shock at the black dress fitted perfectly to her curvy body. Alice broke out into a huge smile before leaning down and fluffing up the skirt of Penny's dress.

"And this one. Doesn't she look beautiful?" Penny spun around slowly showing off her party dress with a HUGE smile on her face. Little thing idolized her Aunt Alice. She was in the midst of asking Alice for some makeup when she was picked up mid-spin by Jake.

"Back to the table!" He yelled boisterously as he threw Penny over his shoulder and headed towards Emmett sending her into a fit of high-pitched squealing. I had never been gladder that we were in a private room. This way at least our crazy family wasn't interrupting everyone else's fancy dinner.

"Bella! You look gorgeous, as always. Happy Birthday!" My father, the never ending flirt smiled crookedly before leaning in to kiss Bella's cheek.

"Thanks, Carlisle," she blushed, and I instinctively wrapped my arm around her waist, bringing her flush against my side. I looked pointedly at my dad, who just smirked and walked away, before bringing my glare down to Bella. She looked up at me guiltily before breaking into a huge smile.

"What, Edward?" she whispered. "You look more like him EVERY day. Your dad's a hottie." I frowned, my eyebrows creasing together. I knew I looked almost identical to my father now, but it still annoyed the crap out of me. "But you're hotter, of course," she flattered me placing her hands on my chest before gazing up at me from under her black lashes.

"I better be, because my dad won't be the one with his face buried between your thighs later," I whispered suggestively into her ear. Her entire body flushed at my words, and I could feel her pulse pound under my thumb. With something to look forward to, I grabbed her hand and led her to the table.

Dinner went by in a flurry of conversation, incredible food, and constant laughter. I kept my hand on Bella's thigh the entire meal, rubbing my thumb over the silky fabric of her dress, hopefully keeping her in a constant state of torture. Because that's exactly what my unattended erection was doing to me. Absolute torture.

"Oh, she's so precious," Esme cooed at Bella nodding towards Penny. She was currently passed out, curled up into the crook of Emmett's huge arm. "Out like a light."

"It's way past her bedtime," Bella smiled glancing down at her watch. "We should probably be getting her home soon."

"Oh, no you don't," Rosalie interrupted pushing a stray hair off of Penny's forehead carefully.

_Yeah, Rose doesn't want kids at all…psh!_

She could tell Bella that she didn't want kids all she wanted, but I knew better. If the way Rosalie adored Penny was any indication, I was pretty sure that she and Emmett were going to start trying to have kids any day now. I joked that they were going to be like Kurt Russell and Goldie Hawn with a whole brood of children out of wedlock.

"What?" Bella asked, completely perplexed.

"We're still babysitting," Rosalie grinned, her eyes flashing to mine before settling back on Bella. "You just enjoy the rest of your birthday."

Bella's head whipped towards me, a coy smile playing upon her lips. "We're not going home?"

"We're not going home." I slid my hand further up her thigh, and I could feel the goose bumps break out underneath my palm.

_FUCK YES._

I stopped by the front desk to pick up our room key before stepping next to her where she stood waiting for the elevator. She didn't look at me when I approached, and I knew that Bella wanted to play her favorite game…the one where I was a slutty stranger. "Old Edward" she called it. She said it was her favorite because it was like sleeping with a stranger. She had never actually met "old Edward" because my life began again when she became a part of it. We hadn't had a chance to play it in so long with our work schedules and raising a child and our family ALWAYS being in our house. But…this was my girl's birthday, and I'd do whatever she wanted.

The doors to the elevator opened, and we both stepped in silently, picking opposite corners of the enclosed space to stand on. I pressed PH and her eyes flicked towards me quickly before finding an interesting spot on the floor. I let my eyes unabashedly roam her figure, my heated gaze pausing at the soft curve of her ass and once again at her mouth. Her tongue snaked out quickly to wet her lips, and I broke into a full grin leaning against the wall.

"What floor are you going to?" I asked.

She looked up at me, startled. "Uh…I…um…I can't remember," she blushed, completely flustered.

_Gah. How is this my life? So fucking awesome_.

"That's okay," I smiled pushing myself off the wall to take a step closer to her. Instinctively, she crossed her arms over her chest protectively before making tentative eye contact with me.

The deep chocolate pools flared with heat, and I could feel my breathing getting heavier with each passing second…and we hadn't even touched yet.

"It's not okay…it's so embarrassing, and I can't reach my friends who are staying here with me," she flushed biting her lip.

"Well, I'm staying in the Pent House, and you're more than welcome to come up until one of your friends calls you back," I suggested moving another step closer to her. "There's definitely enough room."

"Are you sure that'd be fine? I don't want to impose…"

"A girl like you could never be imposing on me," I winked flashing her my most panty-dropping smile.

"Thanks…"

"Edward." I held out my hand to introduce myself.

"Bella," she said taking my hand with hers. Sparks flew up my arm. The electricity between us still managed to take me by surprise. It had only grown over the years, not diminished at all.

"Beautiful name for a beautiful girl." I laced my fingers with hers, bringing our hands down between us rather than letting it go.

She laughed suddenly. "Does that line actually work?" she scoffed.

Finally, the elevator doors opened, leading us into the Pent House. The room was absolutely gorgeous with a fantastic view of Michigan Avenue, the city lights the perfect backdrop to our night alone.

"I don't know. You'll have to let me know."

She took a deep, steadying breath, and within seconds I had her pressed up against the wall, my mouth attacking hers with haste. She pushed my jacket off of my shoulders, not caring that it was getting completely wrinkled on the floor. My lips trailed hot kisses down her jaw to her neck, sucking on the sensitive flesh just underneath her ear.

"Oh, Edward!" she gasped in surprise. It'd definitely been a while since we'd been this aggressive. I think we both missed it a little bit. Okay…a lot a bit. I wasn't planning on slowing down, either.

I sucked at her skin harder, my tongue laving against the sweet taste of her sweat. My hands still braced her against the wall, but her own hands had gone to work on my belt and pants, pushing them off as fast as she could in the dimly lit room. My erection sprang from its confines, and her mouth dropped.

"No underwear? You're such a naughty boy." She was practically salivating, her eyes trained on my cock, and I knew I was going to spontaneously combust if she continued to have her eyes on me like that.

I pushed off the wall to step out of my pants and shoes. I looked up only to see Bella pulling off her own dress, revealing her completely bare body underneath. I gulped. She had been bare underneath her dress all night? Good thing I didn't know that, or I would have probably needed a bathroom break earlier in the evening.

"Good thing I'm a naughty girl," she purred pulling my shirt off. She made to kick her shoes off, but I stopped her, pushing her up against the wall again.

"Shoes stay on," I growled. Her chest heaved beneath mine, her breaths coming in harsh gasps as she readjusted her feet to slide back into her shoes. Our lips attacked one another again, meeting in a flurry of groping, wandering hands, and dueling tongues.

Without any warning, I lifted Bella and thrust into her, still bracing her against the wall.

"Fuck!" she cried out, leaning her head against the wall as she wrapped her heel clad feet around my ass, pressing me in harder and deeper with each violent thrust.

"Louder," I commanded. "I want to hear you scream my name, Bella."

"Edward!" she gasped, her nails digging into my shoulder so hard that I'd be surprised if she didn't draw blood.

Sweat dripped down our skin, the exertion from holding her up against the wall finally taking its toll on my 31-year-old body. I moved my hand in between us to rub small circles into her clit causing her to quake and shudder around me.

"Oh God, oh God, oh God," she chanted loudly, finally succumbing to her orgasm, eyes clenched shut. I needed to climax badly, but my muscles were starting to shake with fatigue, and I didn't want to risk dropping her. That'd probably ruin the mood.

Instead, I pulled out of her and threw her down on the bed forcefully. I crawled lithely on top of her, regaining some of my strength before plunging in again fiercely. I gripped her hips, pulling them up to meet me for every stroke. As my hands groped her backside, her own hands went to play with her breasts.

"Fuck, Bella. I'm coming," I breathed out.

Suddenly, Bella was in my lap on top of me, riding me into oblivion. Her hand snaked down between us to make herself climax again, and I finally let go, chanting her name as she continued to prolong the moment for as long as possible.

When she finally finished, she lay her head onto my shoulder, placing small kisses there as her hands trailed small circles in between my shoulder blades. She didn't get off my lap, even as I started to soften inside her, and I wondered what she was thinking.

"Bel? Are you okay?" I asked running my hands up her sides. She leaned back to look me in the eyes and smiled.

"I'm perfect." I couldn't have agreed more. I placed a soft kiss on her smiling lips. She wiggled her hips slightly before hopping off of my cock, which was coming to life again under her very eyes. "Round two in the shower? I vaguely recall a promise about having your head between my thighs..." Her eyes twinkled with mischief, and I couldn't resist smacking her ass as she high tailed it to the bathroom to turn the shower on.

Yup. Bella Swan would definitely be the death of me.

THE END.

**Chapter End Notes: Thank you guys so much again. I hope you all enjoyed this -- even if you never reviewed, thank you for being on the other side of the screen. I feel like I've gotten to know so many of you, and I really can't thank you enough. Now, if you feel so inclined, leave some love. Review your little hearts out. Just know I love you guys in return.**


	34. AN: New Story Teaser

**AN: Sorry, this isn't a new chapter…but it IS a teaser for my new story, which should be up in a week or two…if you're interested – put me on alert!**

* * *

"Bella, let's bring this back to you. I'd say we're sufficiently warmed up. Let's get more personal. Virgin?" she asked point blank.

"No," Alice said pointing to herself. "Yes." She hugged my shoulders, squeezing my cheek towards her in an uncomfortable death grip.

_Thanks, Alice. That's what friends are for._

"Aw, LB. You're still LB," Emmett smiled widely. He'd never admit it, but somewhere I think he was relieved to hear about my virginity still being in tact. No matter how old I was, I'd always be "Little Bella" with the pigtail braids and cut up knees and braces.

"Interesting. _Now_ can you tell me about the cock you want to suck?" Rosalie prodded.

_Really? Were we really going back to that?_

The entire car started laughing maniacally, Alice slapping Rosalie's hand five. It was clear that she was already a full-fledged, initiated member of the group. "I'm not going to suck ANYONE'S cock!" I exploded, my temper finally flaring out of control.

Suddenly, I felt a cool breeze on my shoulder, and I realized that in my fury, we'd arrived at camp…and everyone in the parking lot was staring at me.

_Please kill me now._

"Well that's disappointing, LB," a very familiar voice called from behind me.


	35. AN: OFF LIMITS OUTTAKES

**AN: **

**This isn't an update…but it **_**COULD BE**_**. Say what?**

**Okay, now that I've got your attention, listen up! I'm offering myself to The Fandom Gives Back fic auction – up to THREE outtakes from Off Limits. That means, if you have a moment that you absolutely are dying to see, you can bid on my name. It can be ANYTHING – you create the prompt and I HAVE to do it. I'll write, you pay, and proceeds go to a fantastic charity.**

**Go check it out – there are tons of amazing authors auctioning their words away, too.**

**http (colon) (slash) (slash) thefandomgivesback (dot) proboards (dot) com (slash) index (dot) cgi?board=fic&field=subject&order=asc&page=5**

**or just go to www (dot) thefandomgivesback (dot) com for more information.**

**AND, if you haven't checked out my new story, The Longest Summer, yet – shame on you! Go make friends with Campward. He won't disappoint. Promise.**

**Kisses, I miss you all.**

**xo**

**Charlotte (aka Lexiecullen17)**


	36. Outtake 1

**AN: Wait, what is this...an Off Limits update? **

**Yes, your eyes do not deceive you. This is the first of two outtakes that were purchased in November for Fandom Gives Back. This one goes out to TLammy, who was gracious enough to give me the prompt, "I just want them to be happy."**

**So, that's exactly what I did. I promised 5k words and got a little carried away, so I hope that you don't mind you get 7k instead ;)**

**Many thanks to kaystu, who jumped in as my beta again after a whole six months, and LaraIsAwkward and il-bel-mondo for getting me out of Campward's head and back into the Off Limits mindset. Extra thanks to Kassiah for rec'ing this story on The Fictionators...it makes my heart happy that new people find Off Limits every day.**

**With that said, TLammy, I hope you enjoy it.**

EPOV

Bag of food in hand, I tried not to trip on my way into the Ritz Carlton, where Bella and I had been relocated because of the amount of photographers and fans who had found us in St. Louis already. It took all my concentration not spill the bag of baked goods and cranberry juice in my hands, but I didn't…because I knew there'd be hell and then some to pay if my nearly nine months pregnant wife didn't get her god damned pre-concert snack.

_One day, Cullen…only one more fucking day. You can do this. Then, no more shows, no more small beds or hotels with shitty water pressure, and no more stressful scheduling…just you and your incredibly irritable pregnant wife._

_Awesome._

Yup. Today was the last date of our summer tour, and then we would finally be leaving scorching hot and humid St. Louis and moving to our brand spanking new house in Lake Forest, just outside of Chicago. Our fucktastically awesome family had been kind enough to help us move our shit from Seattle into our house while we were on our nationwide comeback tour, and we would be arriving at a fully furnished beautiful house. A new home. For our new family.

"Hey, Bel, I got you your croissant and—" I cut off, suddenly accosted by the sight of a sobbing Bella, clad only in a white tank top and underwear, standing red-faced in front of the bathroom mirror. "Bel?"

I dropped the bag of food on the bed and ran straight to her. If something had happened…

Babies came early all the fucking time, right? Oh my God, what the fuck would happen if she went into labor here? We were in Missouri, not Chicago where her obstetrician was. That was a fucking five and a half hour drive away. I needed moral support for this shit—my brother, my sister, my parents. Yes, even my dad.

I placed my arms on her shoulders and tried to gauge what the fuck was actually going on, since Bella had yet to even look at me. "Bel, you're scaring me. Are you okay? Is everything all right?"

She shook her head, clutching her stomach and poking her bottom lip out as tears slid down her red cheeks. "No."

My stomach plummeted and my head started spinning. I removed my hands from her shoulders as quickly as possible and started feeling myself down for my cell phone.

"Okay, it'll be fine, Bel. We can figure this out…" Maybe my family would be able to make it on time if I called them this very second…if I could only find out which fucking pocket I'd put my cell in!

"Bunny, what are you doing?" she asked meekly.

"I'm calling us a cab," I replied, ignoring her and continuing to dig into my pockets. Seriously, how many fucking pockets could one pair of pants have?

"Why?"

I looked up, startled. Her tears had stopped, and Bella was looking at me with the most curious expression on her face. Okay, so apparently nothing _medical_ was wrong.

_And cue the breathing._

"You said something was wrong and I just assumed that…" I nodded my head in the general direction of her stomach, and the tiny thing burst into tears again.

"I can't perform today." She sniffed loudly. "It's too hot, and I'm too fat."

I was being an ass, I knew, but I couldn't fucking help it. I cracked a large smile and chuckled softly before bringing my lips to Bella's salty, tear covered cheeks.

"You're laughing at me?" Her voice was strangled, and out of nowhere, her hands flew at my chest, pushing me backwards, making me stumble out of the bathroom and onto the edge of the bed. "I look sweaty and gross and like I swallowed a giant boulder. Nothing I own fits me anymore! I thought guys were supposed to gain sympathy weight. Why aren't you sympathetic? You're still gorgeous. And now you're _laughing_!"

She stomped her little foot and pushed my shoulder again, looking like the little ferocious kitten I knew she was. Her rant and abuse had the unfortunate (and I'm sure unintended) reaction of only making me laugh harder, though. I couldn't help it. She was too cute for words when she was pissed. And I didn't know what she was worried about, seeing as she was as fucking hot as ever.

"Bel, I'm not laughing at you, I promise." I stood up and wrapped my arms around her, which, although she was exponentially larger around the middle, still fit nicely around her back. "You just almost gave me a heart attack because I thought you were about to give birth. And then I find out you're just entertaining the ridiculous notion that you are too fat to perform? Come on, I'm allowed to laugh. Out of relief, at least."

She rolled her eyes and huffed. I'm sure she would have crossed her arms had I not had her locked within my steel grip. "You're such a dick."

"I am," I smirked. "But you were aware of that when you married me."

She tried to maintain her scowl, but I saw her eyes softening slightly, so I leaned down and kissed her magic spot, which had only increased in sensitivity with her influx of hormones. It was like…kiss magic spot, and then panties, be gone! That was some awesome fucking magic, I'd say.

"And you're not fat. You are sexy as hell," I whispered into her ear, causing her nipples to harden under her thin white tank. "And if you don't have anything to wear, maybe you should just stop wearing clothes." As my lips brushed against the soft skin below her ear, I knew I'd won.

"Edward," Bella whimpered, her head lolling to the side to give me more room as her hands twined themselves in my hair.

"Mhmm," I hummed against her skin, my lips never leaving the spot that was currently turning her body into goo before my very eyes.

"This is cheating."

"I can't help it," I mumbled into her neck, trailing kisses down to her shoulder as I pushed the strap of her tank top out of my way. "My lips want to be attached to your skin…all the time…"

My teeth scraped against her skin, and suddenly, I was being pushed back onto the bed. When the hell did she get so strong?

Her hands grabbed my hair and forcefully brought my mouth to hers, letting our teeth knock against one another. During our latest sexual escapades, which hadn't been that frequent, to be honest, everything had been more than gentle. It needed to be like that, seeing as how Bella had literally tripled in size (not that I'd ever tell her that…). And I'm not going to lie; I kind of missed our frequent rough housing.

She grasped the bottom of my shirt and pulled hard, forcing it over my head as her nails scratched down my naked chest. A loud groan escaped my mouth, and my cock sprang to life, seeing the wild look in her eyes.

_Yes, Cullen, we have definitely missed the rough housing. _

Before I could even grasp what she was doing, Bella was on her knees between my legs, her nimble fingers undoing my pants in record time.

"Bella, I don't think we really have time for thi—"

She cut my protesting off, gripping my cock in her hand tightly and sucking just the tip of it between her pouty lips…hard.

_Seriously, girl has a mouth like a Hoover. You're one lucky bastard, you know that, Cullen?_

_Fuck yes!_

"Fuck, yes!" I reiterated verbally, knowing that while Bella could probably guess what I was thinking most of the time, this statement really needed to be said out loud. As if I weren't hot enough already, my temperature skyrocketed as she slid her mouth over the entirety of my dick, keeping her hand at the base to help. "Jesus, Bella, you're so fucking hot…" I rambled as she started moving her head up and down my shaft, swirling her tongue around the head each time she pulled back. Our eyes locked, and the rest of the room melted away.

The noises coming from my mouth were completely nonsensical, just ramblings about how much I loved her and how stunning she was and how I saw Jesus every time she put her mouth on me, you know…the usual.

Within minutes, I lost it, coming and shoving myself as far down her throat as she would let me.

_Oh the joys of having a hot, horny, and pregnant wife._

After finishing, Bella's eye caught sight of her snack, and she reached across my lap, brushing against my softening cock, to open the juice and chug half of it before putting it back on the bed and smiling widely. Her expectant eyes found mine, and I chuckled, realizing that she couldn't get off the floor (and subsequently, her knees) without my help.

"Oh, I'm sorry, did you need a hand?" I joked, knowing that it was going to piss her off something fierce.

"Such a fucking ass," she grumbled. "We'll see when I help you come again…"

Her eyes narrowed, but before she could bare her teeth and potentially snip at my dick, I reached under her arms and helped her back to standing.

As I struggled to get my pants back on, Bella did her best to distract me by leaning down and pressing kiss after kiss to my lips. One of her tiny hands moved down, trying to prevent me from pulling my pants back up, but I knew there wasn't enough time before the concert…and any sexual activity we were about to engage in would just make her sweatier and eventually grumpier and…

"Belllla," I whined, trying to maneuver her hand away from my renewed erection.

"Please, bunny," she whimpered, crawling onto the bed and hovering over my lap.

With the whimpering and the begging and the hovering and those god damned fucking wide eyes, she knew I'd give in. Plus, it wasn't like my cock _didn't_ want to be inside her, so naturally, I stopped fighting.

My fingers were halfway down her underwear when we heard a loud bang and a gasp and a stumble.

"Ah, crap…"

Our heads snapped towards the noise, only to reveal Riley with his hands over his eyes, trying to escape back to his adjoining room.

"Sorry!" He held his hand up in apology, keeping his eyes squeezed shut. "I didn't know you were here, Edward. I just came to tell the Missus she needs to go to hair and make up's room. Sorry!"

The door shut, and I slowly pulled my hand out of Bella's underwear, sighing as her head fell forward to lean onto my shoulder. "So, adjoining rooms. How did we forget about that one?" I joked. "Oh, I know." I pressed a soft kiss to her temple and lifted her head to look me in the eyes. "It's because my gorgeous minx of a wife tempted me with her giant rack, and I forgot to make sure our door was latched shut. Oops."

"Edward," she pouted, swatting my hands away from her chest. "You don't have to flatter me. I know I'm four thousand pounds and look gross and that's why we haven't had sex in, like, over a week."

My mouth dropped. Crazy pregnancy hormones were turning my Bella into an absolutely deranged moron.

"Bel, are you serious?" She nodded, her lower lip jutting out sadly. I was momentarily distracted by it and couldn't resist but to lean in and kiss it lightly. "We haven't had sex in over a week because we're touring and you're about to give birth any second now and you've been tired and too hot and…I thought I was being considerate. God damn it, woman! Next time, let me know when you want to fuck, don't _not_ tell me and then assume I don't want to."

She finally cracked a smile and blushed. "Yeah, okay."

"We're going home tomorrow, and I promise the first thing we can do is get naked and christen every single room in our house, but right now…" I grabbed her ass, causing her to squeal and jump off my lap, giving me the perfect angle to smack it as she moved away "…we have a gig to do, okay?"

She bit her lip and nodded, swaying her hips as she rummaged through her suitcase with renewed enthusiasm, ready to perform.

***

Except, per usual, my life never went the way I wanted it to. Immediately following our final performance, Bella and I waved goodbye to Riley and Tyler and drove straight through the night to our new home, where we promptly passed the fuck out.

And for the next five days, we never had a second alone.

Our first morning, I was woken up by the worst noise known to man…my father…in my bedroom...flirting with my wife. No joke.

"…radiant, as always, Bella. We've missed you."

"You're always a sight for sore eyes, Carlisle," she giggled. She fucking giggled. I was in hell; I was sure of it.

I pushed myself into a sitting position and took in the sight before me. My dad was currently ogling Bella's tits, which were on display in a light blue sundress. I remember making her buy it in Phoenix because she'd been too hot to wear a bra under anything, so she got this, which had one built in. And it made her double-sized tits look doubly spectacular. But my dad wasn't allowed to fucking enjoy that view.

"This is like my worst nightmare," I grumbled as I rolled out of bed, heading straight towards Bella to wrap my arms around her expanded waist. My dad's eyes flicked down to my hands, and I wanted to yell at him again.

_Yeah, mine. And my baby, too. What now, old man?_

A wry grin spread across his face as he took in my obviously disgruntled appearance, and it only made me more irritated.

"Don't lie, Edward. I thought your worst nightmare would be if I were Bella's OBGYN. Then I could get a peek of—"

"Oh my God, what is _wrong_ with you?" I gaped as Bella flushed and turned to hide her head into my bare chest.

My mom poked her head through the door, obviously having heard the conversation and laughed. "I think he just likes that he can still make Bella blush after all these years. Come on, darling, lets leave these two be for a little bit. The crib still needs to be assembled, and I know you won't be able to do it by yourself…"

My dad's brow furrowed. "Esme, don't be ridiculous. Of course I can fix the crib by myself…" he muttered angrily as he exited our room and headed down the hall towards what would soon be the nursery.

"You're welcome," my mom mouthed to me and winked before closing the door behind her.

"What the hell are they doing here so early?" I asked as I drew lazy circles with the pads of my thumbs over the curve of Bella's stomach, increasing the diameter with each sweep, so I was just brushing the underside of her breasts.

"Uhh…" She leaned her head back, twisting her neck so she could look me in the eyes, but hers then fluttered closed as I increased the pressure of my thumb. "Th-they, um, wanted to h-help finish setting up th-the nursery…ju-ust in case th-the baby, uh, c-comes early."

As I continued the movement of my right hand, I moved my left one to trace the low scoop neckline of the dress, barely reaching underneath the fabric. "But the baby isn't due for another two weeks, and I thought I promised you something about getting naked and christening every r—"

My sentence was interrupted as Bella moved my hands directly over her chest and tugged on my neck, forcing my lips down to hers. Yes, this was exactly how I wanted to spend the rest of my life.

My tongue slid into her mouth as she angled her head further back. Her hands guided mine, helping me relearn what she liked with the added sensitivity of pregnancy. I trailed my kisses down her throat as she shifted in my arms to face me completely. I was hard as a fucking rock and couldn't wait to get off. Plus, it'd been forever and a day since I'd seen and heard Bella come for me, and I was dying for it.

I could feel my temperature start to rise, the room crackling with the energy of our untapped lust, as Bella's hand traveled from my neck and trailed down my chest and stomach slowly, all the way into my boxers.

I grunted loudly and reciprocated with a harder squeeze around Bella's breast. She squealed in response, and I couldn't resist going in for the kill and licking all around her magic spot before biting down lightly.

"Ung, Edward!"

"Edward—" I looked up suddenly, confused as to why both my parents voices were mingled in with Bella's voice moaning my name.

"I tried to stop him," my mom apologized as she grabbed my unblinking father's hand. "He finished the crib and wanted to tell you…and I wasn't fast enough."

As my mom spoke, I shifted our bodies so that my parents could no longer get a clear view of my erect cock…or Bella's hand wrapped around said cock…or my hands gripping Bella's tits. Seeing that no one was going to move, my mom took action. Thank god _someone_ had any sort of cognitive awareness right now. "Come on, Carlisle, let's leave them be."

Just then, the doorbell rang, saving us momentarily. "I'll go get that. Uhh, sorry about that…" At least he had the decency to look somewhat embarrassed. Although, it was nowhere near the level of embarrassment Bella was currently showing on her face. She looked like she wanted to sink into the floor and be swallowed whole, _Nightmare On Elm Street_ style.

The door shut behind my parents, and I moved to pick up where we left off when I heard Emmett's voice bellowing down the hall, "Where's my baby bro and his baby mama?"

Before the door could swing open, Bella quickly removed her hand from my boxers and straightened out the neckline of her dress, pushing her boobs back down and out of my sight. _Sad times._

"In here!" she called out brightly. Only Bella would put up with this cock blocking shit from my family. As it was, I was ready to murder them. "Sorry, bunny," she shrugged.

And the week only got worse from there.

With the weather at an all time record high in Chicago, Bella had been unable to wear anything more than a sundress each day…and she often made the point of telling me that she wasn't wearing underwear. But of course, I couldn't do anything about it.

We legitimately never had a fucking second to ourselves. Whether Rosalie was spoiling Bella with salon treatments, because, and I quote, "she needed to get that shit done before she popped that shit out," or Emmett was organizing our CD collection in alphabetical order by genre, or my dad was fixing our central air system, we were constantly surrounded by a brood of people. And Bella got so hot at night that every time my hands would slide toward her, she'd smack them away.

By the time the fifth day rolled around, I was ready to snap. My cock was cranky. And finally, that day at lunch, I let my family know it.

Everyone had just gathered at our kitchen table with their sandwiches, and I chuckled, looking at the accoutrements on the counter—most prevalent were the two bottles of cheese whiz because Bella insisted on eating it on everything, seriously, everything—when I felt small hands wrap around my waist. I raised my arm and let Bella's head sneak through. She looked up at me with her wide eyes and pressed her soft curves into my side.

"Bunny," she whispered sadly.

"Yeah?" I pressed a light kiss to the top of her head as I watched my family dole out the food. "What's the matter, Bel?"

"I need to feel you inside me." She paused and licked her lips before biting down on the bottom one, her expression changing from sad to wicked. "…soon."

My cock strained in my shorts as she sashayed to the counter to make her own sandwich, and I was positive that had my family not been completely focused on the meal in front of them, they would have all pointed and laughed at the major tent I had just pitched.

I walked quickly behind her, pressing myself as close to her back as I could, letting her feel everything I had to offer her. I loved that she shuddered, and I could visibly see her nipples perk up. God damn, I loved this woman. "After lunch, everyone's going home, and I can't wait to feel you come around my cock."

She tilted her head back to see me, but I disappeared quickly, pulling out a chair and sitting next to Jasper before she could respond. Through out lunch, Bella ate her sandwich as seductively as humanly possible, and that girl definitely knew what she was doing. My eyes were attached to her mouth, and my dick was only getting progressively harder watching it. I kept flashing back to the last time I had gotten any—on tour, with Bella's hot mouth wrapped around my cock. And fuck, I couldn't fucking wait to repeat.

As soon as everyone had finished his or her sandwiches, and I was getting ready to pounce onto my wife, Emmett called out something about a baseball game…and the entire fucking family got up and moved into our den. Hence, the snapping.

"No!" I shouted, pointing my finger at each one of them as they settled into the couch. "No, no, no, no, no!"

Emmett's mouth dropped, and my dad's grip on the remote loosened, causing it to fall from his grasp.

"What?" he asked.

"Everyone needs to leave my house." None of them made a movement, so I continued with more explicit directions. "Um, now would be good."

Bella stifled a giggle, and it took all my restraint not to unleash my wrath on her, too. After all, she was going to be putting out for me momentarily.

"But…the game…" Emmett sounded so confused, like a little boy who had been scolded and had his favorite toy taken away.

Rosalie got the point first and grabbed my stupid brother's hand, pulling him off the couch. "Come on, you lug. Bella and Edward haven't had the chance to enjoy their house by themselves yet. And they clearly want us gone."

As soon as Rosalie announced it, the entire family caught on and awkwardly shuffled out, each one slapping a hand to my shoulder as they passed me by.'

Within seconds, Bella had me pressed up against the wall, her hands firmly placed against my hips and her lips assaulting mine.

"You are way…too…hot…when you…take…control," she growled in between her kisses.

A wicked idea flashed through my mind. I knew how much I loved when Bella took control; I hadn't even really considered that she might feel similarly about the situation in reverse.

I chuckled softly and pulled away, cocking an eyebrow at her flushed face. "Oh, really, now?"

Her eyes darkened at my expression, and a small shiver ran through her body as I spun her in my arms quickly.

"What the—"

"No talking, Bel. I've waited too fucking long to get you alone to have you try and fight me on this."

"Why would I fight you?" she giggled as I steered her toward the arm of the couch.

"Grab that pillow," I instructed, "and that one, too."

With a slow nod, Bella placed the two pillows on top of one another, creating a soft tower of the perfect height for her to lean on as I pulled down my shorts, finally letting my erection free.

"Now, bend over."

Not even a second later was Bella's heaving chest pressed up against the pillows, giving her rounded stomach the support it needed…and me, the best fucking view I could possibly imagine.

My patience had worn thin about five days ago, and as soon as I'd pulled Bella's underwear to her ankles and allowed her to step out of them, I thrust myself inside her.

We both moaned in relief, letting go of the two weeks worth of sexual tension, giving in to even the smallest sensation. My hands roamed over her hips and sides, pushing her dress up higher so as not to completely overheat her, to which she whimpered a sigh of appreciation.

I pounded into her and closed my eyes. Everything felt so intense—the way she felt wrapped around me, the heat, the faint smell of sweat, even the sounds of her heavy breathing. I slid in and out, over and over again, never wanting this moment to end, but I could feel her walls starting to clench down onto my cock, a sure signal of her impending orgasm.

"Fuck, Edward, I'm so fucking close…"

And with her words, so was I. I could practically see my orgasm, hovering, waiting for her completion first, when the unthinkable happened.

_No…no fucking way. This would only happen to you, Cullen…only you._

As Bella cried out, coming loudly, I pulled out and jumped backwards. Not that that helped much. Suddenly, my feet were drenched, hanging out in a puddle of, well, amniotic fluid.

_Consider your erection now squelched, buddy. That shit is nasty._

"Uh, Bel?" I began tentatively, as she still lay arms stretched in front of her, fully relaxed from her orgasm.

_Glad one of us could have one…_

"Yuh huh?" she asked distractedly, her eyes still closed and a lazy smile across her face.

"Have you had any contractions today?"

That got her eyes open. She pushed herself up slightly and turned her head to look at me, confusion evident her eyes.

"No, I don't think so. Why?"

"Uh, cause I'm fairly certain your water just broke all over my feet."

And now I had her full attention. She righted herself all the way up, and I raced to grab her so she wouldn't slip on the puddle of fluid. Her eyes glanced down at the floor before staring back at me in panic.

"What?" she yelled, waving her arms around wildly. "But…but…it's not supposed to get here for another week!"

"Well, our cock blocking child didn't get the memo, Bel, cause I'm pretty sure it's coming now."

"Cock blocking?" Bella turned around in my arms and grabbed my still naked but recently flaccid cock. "Oh, bunny," she giggled. "I'm sorry."

I rolled my eyes and pushed her hand away. There really wasn't time for that right now. "I'm not." I kissed her quickly. "You're about to have our baby, Bel. Get in the car. I'll get your shit together and call everyone."

She sighed and rolled her eyes right back at me. "How about you put your pants back on and get my shit together, and I'll call everyone from the car?"

I nodded quickly and took off to our bedroom. My little psychic of a sister had packed Bella's duffle bag just yesterday. That girl and her god damned foresight…I'd never understand her uncanny ability to just "know."

Out of control.

And then, I paused…and started hyperventilating. Oh my fucking God. Bella was going into labor. Bella was having a baby. I was going to be a father! Holy fucking shit! Who the fuck let this happen? Who thought that this was even a remotely good idea? I could barely take care of myself, much less a living breathing child. I was by far the least equipped to deal with this. I was a musician, a douche bag, a tool…and a whole other slew of words that the media had used to describe me. Would my child grow up to be one of those spoiled celebrity children who ends up in rehab by age twelve? And what could I possibly do to ensure that—

_HONNNNNNNKKK._

I was distracted from my mental meltdown by a long blare of my car horn and remembered that, yes, I had a pregnant wife going into labor currently waiting on me.

Running as fast as my feet would take me, I booked it out of the house and into the car. Bella was still on the phone when I got there, and as I caught the tail end of her conversation, I immediately felt like shit.

"…no, don't worry…yeah, he just got into the car…yes, I'll ask him to speed…I love you, too, Rose…see you soon." She slammed the phone shut and began wringing her hands together in her lap.

"You okay?"

"Mhm." She nodded slowly, but as her head came down, I saw her jaw clench and her hands squeeze against one another. My Bella was _clearly_ in pain.

"Oh, motherfucking shit, Bel. Don't lie to me now."

"Fine," she huffed. "This is starting to really fucking hurt, and if you don't put the car into drive and start speeding toward the hospital, I might be birthing our child on the passenger seat of your precious Volvo, so I highly suggest you move your ass into gear, _Bunny_."

"Sorry," I apologized, putting the car into drive and speeding off.

As I drove, the ipod shuffled first to Ludacris's "What's Your Fantasy," and even Bella couldn't contain her giggling.

Instead of Lamaze breathing or any of that fucking bullshit, my Bella was breathing in and out to the cheesy rapping of Ludacris.

_What's my name, what's my name, what's my name_

_Ah, the sauna, jacuzzi in the back row at the movie_

_You can scratch my back and rule me, you can push me and just pull me_

_On hay in the middle of the barn, rose pedals on the silk sheets, uh_

_Eating fresh fruits sweep your woman right off her feet._

"Will you get mad at me if I tell you it's really hot you know all the words to this?"

She giggled as she continued her steady breathing and looked at me with a coy smile. "Nope." She paused, her face morphing into one of solemnity before she continued. "But you know you aren't getting laid for six weeks, right?"

I gripped my hair and chuckled. "Yeah…fucking cock block."

Bella smacked my arm hard, just as I pulled into the parking lot, where my family was—of course—already waiting. All six of them. How they had beaten us here, I had no idea, but I was just insanely grateful when Emmett opened my door, winked, and pulled me out.

"I'll park the car, bro. You go be there for your baby. And by baby, I mean Bella."

I rushed up to the entrance to hear Bella whisper yelling at Alice, but…she was pretty bad at keeping her voice down.

"No, Alice! It's fine! I'm not wearing underwear anyway!"

Alice's face scrunched up with confusion. "Why the hell not?" she prodded.

"Umm…" Bella's face flushed, and my dad burst into loud guffaws, disrupting the entire emergency waiting room with his obnoxious laughter.

"That's why you kicked us out?" my dad snickered. "At least tell me you got some before this all went down."

I sighed loudly and pulled at my hair, trying to avoid everyone's gaze, despite the fact that I could feel it boring holes into my head. My dad clapped his hand to my shoulder and chuckled again. "Oh, man, it's going to be a _long_ six weeks for you, kid. I am sorry."

"GAH!" Bella screamed out, interrupting my father/son humiliation time.

I rushed over to her, letting her squeeze all the blood into my fingertips as she growled at me. "Bel, what is it? Is everything okay?"

"Edward," she spat at me. "It's going to be a _lot_ fucking longer than six fucking weeks until we have sex. This _sucks_! I fucking _hate_ you for knocking me up. You and your demon seed!"

_Hey, now, I do _not_ have demon seed._

_Hahaha, let's hope she doesn't pop out a demon…like Cordelia in season four of Angel. That'd be something to see for sure. Except I'd feel really bad if my child were responsible for the apocalypse…_

_Shut the fuck up, dude. Your wife needs you focused, NOW!_

Coming to, I realized I was being forced into funny looking hospital clothes and pushed into the delivery room. Apparently, Bella was ready to go, like, minutes ago.

The doctor laid her back on the bed and pushed her legs up, and I suddenly felt nauseous.

"Wait." Bella, the doctor, and all the nurses in the room turned to me. _Oh shit. _"Um, isn't it too soon for this?"

"To give birth?" The doctor laughed and stuck his hand under Bella's gown. Even though I knew he was doing his job, I had the irrational desire to judo chop his hand off. I really fucking hated that he had his hands where my cock had been merely an hour ago. Not that I could deliver a baby…but still…it was the principle of it. "Sorry to disagree, Edward, but this baby is ready to come now."

Bella propped herself up more, shaking slightly. "But Edward's right, isn't he? I thought first babies were supposed to come late, and then, the labor usually takes hours. My water broke without any contractions and now the baby is ready to come now? Fuck! There has to be something wrong. And motherfucking god damn shit, this hurts!" she cried out, slumping down against the pillows, unable to hold herself up any longer.

The panic was evident in Bella's voice, and I immediately rushed to her side again. I couldn't believe I'd been standing idly by, watching my wife's anxiety ricochet out of control. And most of it was my fault.

"Sorry. I'm sorry," she apologized.

"No, Bella. You have nothing to apologize for. I'll be frank with you. It's unusual that it happened this way, yes. But your baby is going to be perfectly healthy. And it wants to come and meet you sooner rather than later. It will all be fine. Please, you have nothing to worry about."

Bella sighed loudly, relief coursing through her body and mine as well. When suddenly a contraction caused her to wrench my hand back with hers. I nearly cried out in pain as she came down with a mild case of Tourrettes. "Fuck! Fuck, fuck, fuck, motherfucker that hurts like a bitch!" As the contraction continued, Bella's grip on my hand increased, and pins and needles started prickling my fingertips.

_Yes, because losing blood flow is exactly what I need to stay conscious during this._

"Uh, Bel," I coaxed, trying to pry her fingers off mine, but I was met by a glare so fierce that I recoiled immediately.

"Edward Anthony Masen Cullen, I swear to fucking God, if you try and put your dick anywhere near my crotch ever again, I'll shove a razor blade up there like that fucking terrible movie _Teeth_ and castrate you! Eunuchs can't get me pregnant!"

Her anger was explosive, and I was truly frightened of her for the first time, maybe ever. She was always such a cute angry person, but this…this was _not_ cute. This was fucking psycho. And I wanted to keep my cock in tact and attached to my body, thank you very much.

"Cullen, stop fucking staring at me like that. I am serious! Are you listening to me? You and your torture device are never making a trip to my promised land ever agaaaiiiin!" She screamed out the last word, sweat starting to collect on her forehead and her neck. I took me a second to realize that I was feeling pretty clammy too.

_Is it really hot in here or something? It feels like she's about to give birth in a sauna, for fuck's sake. This cannot be a good idea!_

"Okay, Bella, I'm going to need you to push now," I vaguely heard the doctor call. My breathing became labored as Bella's eyes widened and panic coursed through my body. I wasn't ready for this…not at all! Pushing, breathing—fuck—I didn't know how to do any of this shit. And as the doctor counted to three, everything faded to black.

***

"…Bunny?" I heard a small voice call out. "Edward? Are you okay?"

_Ouch_. I opened my eyes and the room slowly came into focus. Bella was leaning over the rail of her hospital bed, her eyes bleary but concerned. _Where the fuck am I?_

My hand moved to my head, which was feeling pretty tender, when my knuckles came into contact with the cool floor.

"Bel?" I asked, confused as fuck as to how I ended up on the floor.

"Ah, he's awake!" the doctor called out. "Can someone give him a hand up?"

A nurse shuffled to my side, and as she moved, I saw it…this little goo-covered, alien-looking, red blob. The nurse held out her hand, but I couldn't tear my eyes away from the screaming creature in the doctor's arms.

"Congratulations, Edward. You have a beautiful baby girl. Do you want to cut the cord, Daddy?"

And as the pressure on my hand increased, everything faded to black again.

***

A soft sob brought me out of my haze, and my head spun in the direction of the noise, not caring that I was still exceptionally light headed. I scrambled to stand, but the nurse shook her head sternly and helped me up slowly.

_Thanks for not allowing me to pass out a _third_ time, helpful hospital attendant. Because twice wasn't bad enough._

Oh fuck, my father was so going to have a field day with this, but the moment I locked eyes on Bella and my, gulp, daughter…I couldn't bring myself to care.

I approached the bed and sat down on the thin blanket, taking everything in.

She looked a lot different than the last time I'd seen a peek of her.

My daughter was half swaddled in a pink blanket and a white hat, looking completely content as Bella nursed her, crying quietly. Baby girl was now completely clean, her skin still pink, but only looking flushed like her mother's. Her eyes were open, the murky bluish brown, taking everything in as she fed for the first time.

"Whoa."

The small thing looked _just_ like Bella. And when I say just…I mean JUST. The shape of her face, the sparkling curiosity in her eyes, even her full pouty lips were an exact replica of her mother's.

"Just wait for it, Bunny. You're going to die," Bella chuckled through her tears.

In almost slow motion, she pulled the small white hat from the baby's head, revealing a mess of bronze hair, sticking up in every which direction. My eyes darted from her small face to Bella's crying one multiple times before I felt my face break into a wide smile. Unable to help myself, I leaned in and pressed kiss after kiss to Bella's lips.

"Well, at least you know she's definitely yours," I heard my dad call from behind me. I groaned and leaned my forehead against Bella's, trying to ignore his snickering. "Which is a good thing, seeing as how you weren't conscious for the actual birthing part. Yup. They actually had to call _me_ in to give Bella some moral support, but I did it from the foot of the bed so I could get a good view of—"

"WHAT?" I gasped, my head spinning around, only to be met with the grinning, teary faces of my mother, father, siblings and their spouses, all huddled in the door way.

"Just kidding," he smirked. Although it didn't escape my notice that his eyes lingered on Bella's exposed breast longer than was completely necessary. In fact…everyone's eyes were there…except for Emmett, who was shuffling awkwardly from foot to foot and staring at the linoleum floor.

Finally, Rosalie broke the silence. "Okay, Bella, please put your boob away so I can meet my niece without checking you out, too."

As though she'd understood Rosalie's command, Baby Girl (which was what I'd decided to call her, since Bella and I had been to preoccupied on tour to come up with any names whatsoever) moved away from Bella's chest, yawned and reached a tiny fist towards…me.

"Edward, can you hold her so I can…" Bella asked, motioning to her exposed chest.

"Uh huh," I nodded dumbly as Bella shifted the little mass of limbs, blankets, and copper hair into my arms. "Hi, baby," I whispered as my family shuffled closer, approaching the bed with trepidation. "I'm your Daddy."

Baby Girl yawned again, and I couldn't resist tracing the outside of her soft cheek with my index finger. Sneaky little bugger caught my finger, though and wouldn't let it go as her eyes fluttered closed. If I hadn't been sitting down, I would have for sure passed out again.

"Oh my God, that is possibly the sweetest thing I have ever seen," Alice cooed, peering over my shoulder. "She loves you, Edward."

"Or she just wants to make up for lost time already," Emmett snickered, and my dad fist bumped him behind my mother's back.

I frowned and shifted, causing Baby Girl to whimper in my arms.

"See, Baby Girl doesn't like it when you're mean to me either," I explained, shushing her and calming her immediately.

"Baby Girl?" Rosalie interjected.

"Um, yeah, we didn't really come up with a name, did we?" Bella laughed.

"Jas," Alice whispered, "I want one."

I would have given money to have seen my best friend's face in that moment. Lucky for me, the sound of his voice was enough.

"What?" he choked out. "Ali, we just got married…there is _no_ need to hurry. Seriously. We're not Bella and Edward…" His sputtering made me laugh, and I looked up when I heard Bella's laughter join my own.

"Yeah, and I'm WAY too young to have more than one grandchild," my dad complained.

A fully clothed Bella looked me up and down, her eyes filled with adoring and compassion as she leaned forward and whispered against my lips. "It's good to be home, Bunny."

And it most definitely was.

**Chapter End Notes: All right, chickadees. I love you all. And I will see you soon-ish (hopefully) for outtake #2!**

**xoxo, Charlotte**


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